Acetonema

Abstract

A.ce.to.ne’ ma. L. n. acetum vinegar; Gr. neut n. nema thread; N. L. neut. n. Acetonema vinegar‐forming thread. Firmicutes / “Clostridia” / Clostridiales / Veillonellaceae / Acetonema Thin , straight rods , 0.3–0.4 µm in diameter and 6–60 µm in length. Motile by means of peritrichous flagella. Gram‐negative cell wall . Gram‐negative staining. Lipopolysaccharide present. Heat resistant, dipicolinic acid containing endospores are formed . Catalase‐positive, oxidase‐negative. Strict anaerobe . Facultative chemolithotroph . Mesophiles. Ferments H 2 + CO 2 to acetate . Sugars and organic acids are fermented to acetate, propionate, butyrate, succinate, and H 2 and CO 2 depending on the substrate. Do not respire anaerobically with nitrate or sulfate. Cytochromes not detected. Isolated from gut contents of the termite Pterotermes occidentis . DNA G + C content ( mol %): 55.1 (Bd). Type species : Acetonema longum Kane and Breznak 1992, 191 VP (Effective publication: Kane and Breznak 1991, 97.).