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Morganella psychrotolerans sp. nov., a histamine-producing bacterium isolated from various seafoods

Jette Emborg1, Paw Dalgaard1, Peter Ahrens2

  • 1Danish Institute for Fisheries Research, Department of Seafood Research, c/o Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Building 221, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.

International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
|October 3, 2006
PubMed

Insights

A novel species of bacteria, Morganella psychrotolerans, has been identified. This psychrotolerant bacterium, isolated from seafood, exhibits distinct genetic and growth characteristics differentiating it from mesophilic Morganella morganii.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Taxonomy
  • Food Safety

Background:

  • Morganella morganii is a facultative anaerobic Gram-negative bacterium.
  • M. morganii is known to be a spoilage organism in seafood and a potential opportunistic pathogen.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To differentiate between mesophilic and psychrotolerant Morganella isolates.
  • To classify psychrotolerant M. morganii-like strains and determine if they represent a new species.

Main Methods:

  • Polyphasic taxonomy approach
  • Multi-locus sequencing (MLS)
  • DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH)
  • 16S rRNA gene sequencing
  • Phenotypic characterization (growth conditions, substrate fermentation)

Main Results:

  • Phylogenetic analysis of seven housekeeping genes revealed two distinct groups: mesophilic and psychrotolerant.
  • DDH showed low relatedness (<41%) between psychrotolerant strain U2/3(T) and type strains of M. morganii subsp. morganii and M. morganii subsp. sibonii.
  • Psychrotolerant isolates exhibited unique growth characteristics, including growth at 0-2°C and differential growth at 37°C, 8.5% NaCl, and d-galactose fermentation.

Conclusions:

  • Psychrotolerant M. morganii-like isolates represent a novel species, Morganella psychrotolerans sp. nov.
  • This finding expands the known diversity within the Morganella genus.
  • Understanding M. psychrotolerans is crucial for seafood safety and clinical microbiology.

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