Rank Species | Phylum Proteobacteria | |
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Scientific name Acinetobacter calcoaceticus Similar Acinetobacter, Bacteria, Acinetobacter baumannii, Morganella morganii, Providencia rettgeri | ||
Acinetobacter calcoaceticus is a bacterial species of the genus Acinetobacter. It is a nonmotile, gram negative coccobacillus. It grows under aerobic conditions, is catalase positive and oxidase negative. It is part of the normal human intestinal flora. Together with A. baumannii, it is referred to as the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex, which is relatively simple to identify based on the beforementioned phenotypic characteristics. To identify other Acinetobacter species genotyping is required.
Contents
Habitat
A. calcoaceticus is a soil bacterium. It has been shown to be prevalent in the tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus microflora.
Metabolism
Phloroglucinol carboxylic acid is a degradation product excreted by A. calcoaceticus grown on (+)-catechin as the sole source of carbon.
Clinical significance
A. calcoaceticus can be pathogenic and cause an opportunistic infection in patients with multiple underlying diseases.
Uses
A. calcoaceticus can be used as an alternative to A. baumannii in the laboratory setting. The interchangeability of the two species stems from their extreme degree of similarity and ability to form the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex. Other contributing factors include the cost-effective nature of A. calcoaceticus compared to A. baumannii and the ability of A. calcoaceticus to readily uptake DNA.