Serratia marcescens
Serratia marcescens | |
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Serratia marcescens on an agar plate | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Bacteria |
Phylum: | Pseudomonadota |
Class: | Gammaproteobacteria |
Order: | Enterobacterales |
Family: | Yersiniaceae |
Genus: | Serratia |
Species: | S. marcescens
|
Binomial name | |
Serratia marcescens |
Serratia marcescens (
Due to its abundant presence in the environment, and its preference for damp conditions, S. marcescens is commonly found growing in bathrooms (especially on tile grout, shower corners, toilet water lines, and basins), where it manifests as a pink, pink-orange, or orange discoloration and slimy film feeding off phosphorus-containing materials or fatty substances such as soap and shampoo residue.
Once established, complete eradication of the organism is often difficult, but can be accomplished by application of a bleach-based disinfectant. Rinsing and drying surfaces after use can also prevent the establishment of the bacterium by removing its food source and making the environment less hospitable.
S. marcescens may also be found in environments such as dirt and the subgingival biofilm of teeth. Due to this, and because S. marcescens produces a reddish-orange tripyrrole dye called prodigiosin, it may cause staining of the teeth. The biochemical pathway for the production of prodigiosin by S. marcescens has been characterized by analyzing what intermediates become accumulated in specific mutants.[8]
Identification
S. marcescens is a
Test | Result[11] |
---|---|
Gram stain | − |
Oxidase | − |
Indole production | − |
Methyl red | > 70% − |
Voges-Proskaeur | + |
Citrate (Simmons) | + |
Hydrogen sulfide production | − |
Urea hydrolysis | > 70% − |
Phenylalanine deaminase | − |
Lysine decarboxylase | + |
Motility | + |
Gelatin hydrolysis, 22 °C | + |
Acid from lactose | − |
Acid from glucose | + |
Acid from maltose | + |
Acid from mannitol | + |
Acid from sucrose | + |
Nitrate reduction | + (to nitrite) |
Deoxyribonuclease, 25 °C | + |
Lipase | + |
Pigment | some biovars produce red |
Catalase production (24h) | + |
Pathogenicity
In humans, S. marcescens can cause an
In
In research laboratories employing Drosophila fruit flies, infection of them with S. marcescens is common. It manifests as a pink discoloration or plaque in or on larvae, pupae, or the usually starch and sugar-based food (especially when improperly prepared).
A rare clinical form of gastroenteritis occurring in early infancy caused by infection with S. marcescens. The red color of the diaper can be mistaken for hematuria (blood in the urine), which may cause unnecessary investigations by the physicians.[18]
S. marcescens causes cucurbit yellow vine disease, leading to sometimes serious losses in melon fields.[19]
Professor Jim Burritt and his students at the University of Wisconsin-Stout have discovered a new strain of S. marcescens in bee blood (haemolymph) from hives decimated by winterkill. His research findings have been published and the new strain was named sicaria, which means assassin in Latin. The professor states that S. marcescens sicaria "may contribute to the wintertime failure of honey bee colonies".[20][21]
History
Possible role in medieval miracles
Because of its red pigmentation, caused by expression of the
Discovery
S. marcescens was discovered in 1819 by Venetian pharmacist Bartolomeo Bizio, as the cause of an episode of blood-red discoloration of polenta in the city of Padua.[24] Bizio named the organism four years later in honor of Serafino Serrati, a physicist who developed an early steamboat; the epithet marcescens (Latin for 'decaying') was chosen because of the dyestuff's rapid deterioration (Bizio's observations led him to believe that the organism decayed into a mucilage-like substance upon reaching maturity).[25] Serratia was later renamed Monas prodigiosus and Bacillus prodigiosus before Bizio's original name was restored in the 1920s.[24]
Uses and misuse
Role in biowarfare testing
Until the 1950s, S. marcescens was erroneously believed to be a nonpathogenic "
bacterium, which was being weaponized at the time.On 26 and 27 September 1950, the
Since 1950, S. marcescens has steadily increased as a cause of human infection, with many strains resistant to multiple antibiotics.[5] The first indications of problems with the influenza vaccine produced by Chiron Corporation in 2004 involved S. marcescens contamination.
Contaminated injectables
In early 2008, the
S. marcescens has also been linked to 19 cases in
Ground-water flow tracing
Because of its ability to be grown on
See also
- Eucharistic miracle
- Serratia marcescens nuclease
- Serratia marcescens extracellular proteinase
References
- ^ Biblioteca italiana, o sia Giornale di letteratura, scienze ed arti (in Italian). 1823. pp. 275–295. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ "Genus Serratia". List of Prokaryotic Names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN). Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ Hicks, Randall. "Pronunciation Guide to microorganisms" (PDF). University of Minnesota.
- ^ a b c Serratia marcescens. (2011, April). Retrieved from https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Serratia_marcescens
- ^ S2CID 12248893.
- ^ a b c Auwaerter P (8 October 2007). "Serratia species". Point-of-Care Information Technology ABX Guide. Johns Hopkins University. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
Freely available with registration.
- ^ a b c d Serratia at eMedicine
- S2CID 11649828.
- ^ Aryal, S. (2018, June 23). Biochemical Test and Identification of Serratia marcescens. Retrieved from https://microbiologyinfo.com/biochemical-test-and-identification-of-serratia-marcescens/
- ^ "Serratia". Soil Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology BIOL/CEEE/CSES 4684. Virginia Tech. 2004. Archived from the original on 6 April 2005.
- ^ Bergey's Manuals of Determinative Bacteriology, by John G. Holt, 9th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 15 January 1994. p. 217
- ^ "Pathogen Safety Data Sheets: Infectious Substances – Serratia spp". Public Health Agency of Canada. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
- S2CID 25753905.
- ^ "Symptoms of Pink Eye Mold Exposure". 9 October 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Serratia Marcescens seton implant infection & orbital cellulitis". EyeRounds.org. Retrieved 6 April 2006.
- PMID 12077296.
- ^ Vasantharajan VN, Munirathnamma N (1978). "Studies on Silkworm Diseases III - Epizootiology of a Septicemic Disease of Silkworms Caused by Serratia marcescens". Journal of the Indian Institute of Science. 60 (4). Retrieved 14 July 2016.
- ^ The Red Diaper Syndrome. Rev Chil Paediatr. 1960 Jul;31:335-9
- ^ "Cucurbit Yellow Vine Disease (CYVD) In Connecticut". University of Connecticut Integrated Pest Management. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012.
- ^ "Review of Bee Health Decline » Research buzz: Professor, students identify bacterium that may kill honey bees". www.thecre.com. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ "Biology Professor Discovers New Clue About What's Killing Bees". NBC News. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ PMID 12876793.
- ^ "The Mass at Bolsena by Raphael". Vatican Museums. Retrieved 3 May 2006.
- ^ PMID 10589885.
- PMID 16559067.
- ^ "How the U.S. Government Exposed Thousands of Americans to Lethal Bacteria to Test Biological Warfare". Democracy Now!. 13 July 2005. Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ "Serratia has dark history in region". SFGate. 31 October 2004. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
- ISBN 0-8476-7579-3.
- ISBN 0-7567-5686-3.
- ^ Cole, Op. cit., pp. 85-104.
- ISBN 978-0-8226-3001-2.
- ^ Barnett, Antony (21 April 2002). "Millions were in germ war tests". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
- ^ "AM2 PAT, Inc. Issues Nationwide Recall of Pre-Filled Heparin Lock Flush Solution USP (5 mL in 12 mL Syringes)". Food and Drug Administration.
- ^ Nisbet, Robert (30 March 2011). "Drip Feeds Linked To US Hospital Deaths". Retrieved 31 March 2011.
- ^ "January 28, 2016: Federal Criminal Charges Filed Against Two Pharmacists for Adulteration of Drugs in Connection with Alabama-Based Compounding Pharmacy". FDA. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ Jofre J. Goldscheider N; Drew D (eds.). Methods in Karst Hydrology. International Association of Hydrogeologists -IAWPRC. pp. 138–139.
- ISBN 0-08-036884-0.
Further reading
- Hernandez Marchant R; Oyarce Rojas P; Arcaya O (1960). "The red diaper syndrome. Serratia marcescens infection". Rev Chil Pediatr (in Spanish). 31 (4): 335–9. PMID 13713665.
External links
- "Serratia marcescens". NCBI Taxonomy Browser. 615.
- Type strain of Serratia marcescens at BacDive - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
- Media related to Serratia marcescens at Wikimedia Commons