Mycobacterium moriokaense

Mycobacterium moriokaense

Etymology: moriokaense, from Morioka, Japan where the organism was first isolated.

Description
Gram-positive, nonmotile and acid-fast rods (2-6 μm x 0.5 μm).

Colony characteristics
 * Dry, rough and nonpigmented (nonphotochromogenic) colonies.

Physiology
 * Rapid growth on Löwenstein-Jensen media at 28 °C, 37 °C and 42 °C, but not at 45 °C within 3 days.

Pathogenesis

 * Biosafety level 1

Type strain
Strain NCH E11715 = ATCC 43059 = CCUG 37671 = CIP 105393 = DSM 44221 = JCM 6375 = VKM Ac-1183.
 * First isolated from sputum of a patient with tuberculosis and from soil in Morioka, Japan.