[Characteristics of a Mycobacterium mucosum culture oxidizing cholic acid]

Some physiologo-morphological and biochemical characteristics were studied with the culture of Mycobacterium mucosum 1210 which can assimilate cholic acid as a sole source of carbon. This culture is capable of spontaneous variability. Four variants of the culture were obtained which possessed different rates of the transformation of cholic acid. The variant which formed slimy colonies of pale-yellow colour was the most active. Some morphological modifications of the cells were investigated in the course of cultivation, such as the size, shape and formation of the capsules. Various growth media were tested, and the optimal values of pH were selected.