Ruminobacter

Abstract

Ru.mi.no.bac' ter. L. adj. ruminalis of the rumen; M.L. masc. n. bacter equivalent of bacterium, a small rod; M.L. masc. n. Ruminobacter small rod of the rumen.

Proteobacteria / Gammaproteobacteria / Aeromonadales / Succinivibrionaceae / Ruminobacter

Oval to long rods. Gram negative. Nonsporeforming. Nonmotile. Chemoorganotroph. Metabolize carbohydrates; fermentation products include succinate, acetate, and formate; trace amounts of lactate and ethanol may be formed. No rumen fluid requirement for growth. Obligately anaerobic. CO₂ required, which is incorporated into succinic acid. NH₃ is essential as a nitrogen source. No cytochromes. Peptidoglycan contains meso-diaminopimelic acid. Sphingophospholipids absent. Straight chain saturated C_16:0 fatty acid predominates, while C_14:0 acid and the monounsaturated C_16:1 and C_18:1 acids occur in smaller amount. Low levels of iso- and anteiso-methyl branched fatty acids. Analysis of 16S rDNA places the genus into the family Succinivibrionaceae of the Gammaproteobacteria.

The mol% G + C of the DNA is: 40–42.

Type species: Ruminobacter amylophilus (Hamlin and Hungate 1956) Stackebrandt and Hippe 1987, 179 (Effective publication: Stackebrandt and Hippe 1 9 8 6, 205) (Bacteroides amylophilus Hamlin and Hungate 1956, 552.)