Rugamonas

Abstract

Ru.gamo' nas. L. fem. n. ruga wrinkle; Gr. fem. n. monas unit, monad; M.L. n. Rugamonas wrinkled unit.

Proteobacteria / Gammaproteobacteria / Pseudomonadales / Pseudomonadaceae / Rugamonas

Rods 0.8–0.9 × 2.4–4.0 µm, in young cultures. Intracellular granules of prodigiosenes develop in cells more than 7 d old. Cells in cultures less than 7 d are motile by one or more polar or subpolar flagella. Colonies on Bennett's agar¹ after 4 d at 20°C are pink to deep red, wrinkled, and rubbery in consistency after 5 d, with a diameter of approximately 3 mm. Oxidase and catalase positive, strictly aerobic and oxidative metabolism, unable to metabolize carbohydrates fermentatively. Nitrates are reduced to N₂ anaerobically. Growth occurs in the presence of 0.0–0.5% (w/v) NaCl. Arginine decarboxylase negative. Lysine and ornithine decarboxylases are produced by some strains. Esculin, chitin, DNA, RNA, gelatin, lecithin, Tween 20, 40, 60, and 80, tyrosine, and urea are degraded but not allantoin, cellulose, elastin, hypoxanthine, starch, and xanthine. H₂S is not produced on triple sugar iron agar. The gluconate and Koser's citrate tests are positive; Voges–Proskauer, methyl red, and melonate tests are negative. β-Galactosidase (ONPG method) positive. Has been isolated from river water.

The mol% G + C of the DNA is: 66–67.

Type species: Rugamonas rubra Austin and Moss 1987, 179 (Effective publication: Austin and Moss 1986, 1908.)