Corynebacterium species - Overview

Corynebacterium
Phylum	Actinobacteria
Order	Actinomycetales
Family	Corynebacteriaceae
Genus	Corynebacterium

Phase contrast of Corynebacterium glutamicum.(Biopolako 2006, Wikimedia commons)

Overview

The Corynebacterium bacteria are common inhabitants of skin and mucous membranes of animals. They may cause opportunistic, pyogenic infections. Most species are host specific.

Characteristics

The Corynebacterium are small, tough, non-motile, Gram positive rods. They are pleomorphic and cluster together to resemble Chinese characters - coryneform morphology. They are known as diphtheroids and are catalase positive and oxidase negative. They are facultative anaerobes and require enriched media for growth.

Pathogenesis

The Corynebacterium species are pyogenic, causing suppurative infections except for C. bovis.

Diagnosis

To diagnose the Corynebacterium species, samples include pus, exudate, affected tissues and urine. The presence of coryneform organisms in smears is diagnostic. Culture on blood agar, selective blood agar and MacConkey agar are also diagnostic, they do not grow on MacConkey.

See here for a list of Corynebacterium species

Corynebacterium species - Overview Learning Resources
Literature Search Search for recent publications via CAB Abstract (CABI log in required)	Corynebacterium spp. publications since 2000

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