Streptococcus mitis

Streptococcus mitis is a mesophilic alpha-hemolytic species of Streptococcus that inhabits the oral cavity. It is coccus (spherical shaped), gram-positive, catalase negative, and facultative anaerobe. It was previously classified as Streptococcus mitior. Streptococcus mitis is known to cause several medical conditions one of them being infective endocarditis.[2]

Streptococcus mitis
Scientific classification
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Bacillota
Class: Bacilli
Order: Lactobacillales
Family: Streptococcaceae
Genus: Streptococcus
Species:
S. mitis
Binomial name
Streptococcus mitis
Andrewes and Horder 1906 (Approved Lists 1980)
Synonyms

Streptococcus mitior[1]

Classification

Members of the Streptococcus genera belong to lactic acid bacteria defined by the formation of lactic acid as an end-product of carbohydrate metabolism. The family Streptococcaceae is characterized by based upon its 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis within the low (< 50 mol%) G+C branch. There are over 50 species in the genus which are classified by their 16S rRNA sequences.[3]

Habitat

Streptococcus mitis primarily resides in the oral cavity which includes the mouth, nasopharynx, and throat. However, there have also been cases of it in the female genital tract, the gastrointestinal tract, and even in the integumentary system.[4]

Natural genetic transformation

S. mitis is competent for natural genetic transformation. Thus S. mitis cells are able to take up exogenous DNA and incorporate exogenous sequence information into their genome by homologous recombination.[2] These bacteria can employ a predatory fratricidal mechanism for active acquisition of homologous DNA.[2]

Moon Surveyor 3 Probe

Approach

It has been reported that Streptococcus mitis identified and survived for over two years on the Surveyor 3 probe on the Moon. However, many NASA scientists speculate that this is most probably due to contamination upon return to Earth. The Apollo 12 crew received pieces of Surveyor in 1969, one of these was the TV camera. The probe was then analyzed to consider how the lunar environment affected the material. Surveyor 3 had not been sterilized before its launch because scientists wanted to see if organisms could survive the two and half years on the moon, so looking for surviving organic material was a part of this analysis. [5]

Results

Upon inspection, a group found an amount of S. mitis inside a piece of foam located inside the camera. Culture plates were made and the identity was later confirmed as Streptococcus mitis at the US Communicable Disease Center at Atlanta, Georgia. At first, it was speculated that S. mitis had been picked up from the moon but research later discovered that the residence of the bacteria on the probe had started after the probe returned.

Characteristics of Streptococcus mitis

The following table has Streptococcus mitis characteristics [3]
Test type Test Characteristics
Biochemical characters Gram stain Positive
Catalase Negative
Oxidase Positive
Methyl Red Positive
Voges Proskauer (VR) Negative
Coagulase Negative
DNase Negative
Morphological characters Shape Coccus
Arrangement Chains or pairs
Fermentation Glucose Positive
Fructose Positive
Galactose Positive
Lactose Positive
Maltose Negative
Mannitol Variable
Mannose Positive
Sucrose Positive
Starch Negative
Enzymatic Reactions Acetoin Negative
Acid Phosphatase Variable
Alkaline Phosphatase Positive
Hyaluronidase Negative
β-D-glucosidase Positive
Leucine aminopeptidase Positive
Neuraminidase Positive

References

  1. Gross KC, Houghton MP, Roberts RB (September 1981). "Evaluation of blood culture media for isolation of pyridoxal-dependent Streptococcus mitior (mitis)". J. Clin. Microbiol. 14 (3): 266–72. doi:10.1128/jcm.14.3.266-272.1981. PMC 271953. PMID 7287885.
  2. Johnsborg O, Eldholm V, Bjørnstad ML, Håvarstein LS (2008). "A predatory mechanism dramatically increases the efficiency of lateral gene transfer in Streptococcus pneumoniae and related commensal species". Mol. Microbiol. 69 (1): 245–53. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2008.06288.x. PMID 18485065. S2CID 30923996.
  3. Sapkota, Anupama (2021-01-06). "Streptococcus mitis- An Overview". Microbe Notes. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  4. Kutlu, Selda Sayin; Sacar, Suzan; Cevahir, Nural; Turgut, Huseyin (2008-11-01). "Community-acquired Streptococcus mitis meningitis: a case report". International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 12 (6): e107–e109. doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2008.01.003. ISSN 1201-9712.
  5. "Surveyor 3 Streptococcus mitis (APSTREPMIT)". NASA. Retrieved 27 December 2015.


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