Abstract
Ar.se.no.pho' nus. Gr. n. arsen a male; Gr. suff. phonus slayer; N.L. masc. n. Arsenophonus male-killer.
Proteobacteria / Gammaproteobacteria / Enterobacteriales / Enterobacteriaceae / Arsenophonus
Cells are Gram-negative, nonmotile, nonsporeforming, nonflagellated, long to highly filamentous rods, which divide by septation. The bacteria infect insect tissues. The type species can be cultivated on cell-free media. Colonies are mucoid, gray-white, round, and convex with entire edges. Enzymatically digested proteins best serve as nitrogen sources. Does not utilize KNO3, (NH4)2SO4, complete defined amino acid mixtures, or acid-hydrolyzed peptones as nitrogen sources. Sugars sucrose, fructose, and D-glucose are utilized as primary carbon sources. Weak growth occurs with maltose, trehalose, cellobiose, and D-xylose. Acid is produced with D-glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Growth is negative with L-arabinose, glycerol, dulcitol, lactose, D-mannitol, raffinose, and i-inositol. Positive for catalase and gelatin liquefaction; negative for Voges–Proskauer, methyl red, nitrate reduction, indole, oxidase, hydrogen sulfide, o-nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranoside, lysine and ornithine decarboxylase, urease, and arginine dehydrolase. Cells grow at pH 6.2–8.7 (optimum pH range 7.4–8.0), and a temperature range of 15–35°C (30°C optimum).
The mol% G + C of the DNA is: 39.5.
Type species: Arsenophonus nasoniae Gherna Werren, Weisburg, Cote, Woese, Mandelco and Brenner 1991, 564.
