Cytophaga Succinicanssp. N., a Facultatively Anaerobic, Aquatic Myxobacterium

During the course of investigations relatinjg to myxobacterial fish diseases, a number of non-pathogenic cytophagas were found which could grow anaerobically at the expense of carbohydrate fermentation. MIyxobacteria which are able to carry out fermentations have rarely been en-countered in the past (Bachmann, 1955). The present isolates invoked special interest because their fermentation appeared to be a C02-con-suming, perhaps even a C02-requiring, process. They were, therefore, subjected to further study. This paper concerns the isolation and descrip-tion of some fresh-water fermentative myxobac-teria. The three strains included in this study are considered to be members of a new species, Cytophaga succinicans sp. n. MATERIALS AND METHODS Media. Cytophaga agar, a medium used for the isolation and purification of strains, and for routine plating, consists of tryptone (Difco), 0.05 per cent; yeast extract, 0.05 per cent; beef extract, 0.02 per cent; sodium acetate, 0.02 per cent; and agar (Difco), 0.9 per cent; adjusted to pH 7.2 to 7.4. Stock cultures were maintained in tubes of cytophaga medium containing 0.4 per cent agar (Difco). Nutrient broth, a medium consisting of peptone, 0.5 per cent, and beef extract, 0.3 per cent, adjusted to pH 7.0, was ',This investigation was supported in part by