Mycobacterium psychrotolerans

Mycobacterium psychrotolerans is a rapidly growing mycobacterium first isolated from pond water near a uranium mine in Spain. It was able to grow at 4C and is therefore considered to be psychrotolerant. Etymology: psychros cold; tolerans tolerating; psychrotolerans cold-tolerating).

Description
Microscopy
 * Gram-positive, acid-fast, non-spore-forming, non-motile short rods.

Colony characteristics
 * Smooth, entire, bright orange, scotochromogenic colonies appear after 2 days in GYEA, Bennett’s and nutrient agars.

Physiology
 * Growth on Lowenstein–Jensen agar is moderate.
 * No growth occurs on MacConkey agar.
 * Grows at 4–37C and tolerates 7% NaCl.
 * The type strain is resistant to ampicillin, cefuroxime, cloxacillin, erythromycin, penicillin and polymyxin. Sensitive to ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, neomycin and oxytetracycline.

Differential characteristics
 * Growth at 4C.

Pathogenesis

 * First isolated from an environmental source, not known to be pathogenic.

Type Strain

 * The type strain was isolated from a pond in Salamanca, Spain.
 * Strain WA101 = DSM 44697 = JCM 13323 = LMG 21953