Enterobacter

Abstract

En.te.ro.bac'ter. Gr. neut. n. enteron , intestine; N.L. masc. n. bacter , a small rod; N.L. masc. n. Enterobacter , intestinal small rod. Pseudomonadota / Gammaproteobacteria / Enterobacterales / Enterobacteriaceae / Enterobacter Cells of the genus Enterobacter are Gram‐stain‐negative, straight rods (0.3–2.0 μm × 1.8–5.0 μm), and the majority are motile with peritrichous flagella. The optimal growth temperature is 30°C, with clinical strains growing at 37°C. They are facultatively anaerobic, ferment glucose with the production of acid and gas, and reduce nitrate to nitrite. The majority of strains are positive for Voges–Proskauer, arginine dihydrolase, and ornithine decarboxylase and negative for indole, lysine decarboxylase, and H 2 S production. The major fatty acids are C 16:0 , C 18:1 ω7 c , C 17:0 cyclo, and summed feature 2 (iso‐C 16:1 and/or C 14:0 3‐OH). The fatty acids C 13:0 and summed feature 1 (C 15:1 iso H and/or C 13:0 3‐OH) are generally present in low amounts (minimum 1.4 and 1.6% of the total amount, respectively). Genome‐based phylogenetic analyses separate the majority of species of this genus; the exception is Enterobacter siamensis for which no genome sequence is available. They are widely distributed in nature, occurring in clinical, terrestrial, and aquatic environments. DNA G + C content (mol%) : 52–58.5 ( T m ). Type species : Enterobacter cloacae AL .