A study has been made of 25 strains of Gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria with lophotrichous flagella and no effect on carbohydrates. These bacteria are often found in human stools and blood, and in water of various kinds. Except for the flagellation, they are very similar to Alcaligenes species. The flagella are very characteristic, resembling those of spirilla. The wave length of the polar flagella averages 3.10 μ. with an average amplitude of 1.08 μ. One strain, H-261, is genetically unstable and mutates through various intermediary stages to a genetically stable peritrichous type. The peritrichous (or nonpolar) flagella have several curves and a wave length of about 1 μ. The group showed considerable somatic and flagellar antigenic heterogeneity. All the strains studied appear sufficiently similar to be classified into one species. The name Lophomonas alcaligenes n. gen. is suggested for the group.
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Galarneault et al. (1956) studied this question.