[A new genus of oral bacteria in human]

A strain, No. 90-1, is isolated from the oral cavity of a patient with periodontophthy. This strain is a Gram-positive, non-endospore-forming, facultative anaerobe with spherical cells, 0.9-1.5 microns in diameter, occuring in pairs and seldom in short chains of four cells, and motile by one flagellum per cell. The optimum growing temperature is 35-37 degrees C; appreciable growth is not found below 10 degrees C, but growth at 53 degrees and tolerance to 60 degrees C for 30 min. This strain is microhalophilous and grows best, well and poorly in the medium containing 2%, 10%-15% and 25% NaCl respectively. Catalase and urease are positive and nitrate is reduced. Acid is produced from many carbohydrates, but no gas. Gelatin can be hydrolyzed, but starch, cellulose and dextrin do not. G + C content in DNA is 41.34 mol%(Tm). The strain(90-1) is considered to be a new species belonging to a new genus because its some characteristics are different from those of the known coccus genuera and designated as Stomatostreptococcus microhalophilus Ping, Zhou, Sun et Fan gen. nov. sp. nov. according to its source and microhalophilic trait.