Streptococcus ferus is a

Gram-positive In bacteriology, gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that give a positive result in the Gram stain test, which is traditionally used to quickly classify bacteria into two broad categories according to their type of cell wall. The Gram stain is ...

streptococcus belonging to the

Streptococcus ''Streptococcus'' is a genus of gram-positive spherical bacteria that belongs to the family Streptococcaceae, within the order Lactobacillales (lactic acid bacteria), in the phylum Bacillota. Cell division in streptococci occurs along a sing ...

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

. It was first isolated from wild animals, such as

rodents Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...

, and is primarily found in the

oral cavity A mouth also referred to as the oral is the body orifice through which many animals ingest food and vocalize. The body cavity immediately behind the mouth opening, known as the oral cavity (or in Latin), is also the first part of the alime ...

and digestive tract of these hosts. S. ferus is considered part of the diverse and ecologically adaptable Streptococcus group. Morphologically, S. ferus typically appears as spherical or ovoid cells arranged in chains. It is a

facultative anaerobe A facultative anaerobic organism is an organism that makes ATP by aerobic respiration if oxygen is present, but is capable of switching to fermentation if oxygen is absent. Some examples of facultatively anaerobic bacteria are ''Staphylococcus' ...

, capable of surviving in both

aerobic Aerobic means "requiring air," in which "air" usually means oxygen. Aerobic may also refer to * Aerobic exercise, prolonged exercise of moderate intensity * Aerobics, a form of aerobic exercise * Aerobic respiration, the aerobic process of cellu ...

and

anaerobic Anaerobic means "living, active, occurring, or existing in the absence of free oxygen", as opposed to aerobic which means "living, active, or occurring only in the presence of oxygen." Anaerobic may also refer to: *Adhesive#Anaerobic, Anaerobic ad ...

conditions. The bacterium requires suitable nutritional conditions for growth and exhibits specific hemolytic activity on blood

agar Agar ( or ), or agar-agar, is a jelly-like substance consisting of polysaccharides obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, primarily from " ogonori" and " tengusa". As found in nature, agar is a mixture of two components, t ...

, which is important for its identification and differentiation. Additionally, S. ferus possesses distinctive biochemical characteristics, such as fermenting certain

carbohydrates A carbohydrate () is a biomolecule composed of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms. The typical hydrogen-to-oxygen atomic ratio is 2:1, analogous to that of water, and is represented by the empirical formula (where ''m'' and ''n'' ma ...

and producing

lactic acid Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has the molecular formula C3H6O3. It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as wel ...

, making it valuable in taxonomic studies and microbial diagnostics. Regarding its

pathogenicity In biology, a pathogen (, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of"), in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ. The term ...

, S. ferus is generally considered non-pathogenic or of low pathogenicity, mainly existing as part of the normal

microbiota Microbiota are the range of microorganisms that may be commensal, mutualistic, or pathogenic found in and on all multicellular organisms, including plants. Microbiota include bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi, and viruses, and have been found ...

in wild animals. However, under specific conditions, particularly when the host's immune system is compromised or microbial balance is disrupted, it may act as an opportunistic pathogen, leading to localized or systemic infections. Further research is needed to understand its role in animal health and its potential zoonotic risks. Molecular studies have revealed that the genomic features of S. ferus share similarities with other members of the Streptococcus genus while also exhibiting unique genetic markers. These findings provide insights into its classification, evolutionary relationships, and ecological adaptations. With advancements in molecular biology and microbial ecology, further exploration is required to understand its functional characteristics, metabolic capabilities, and interactions with host organisms.

Overview

''Streptococcus ferus'' is a facultatively anaerobic, gram-positive species of the genus ''

''. The species is a member of the '' Viridans streptococci'' group which are a large mixed-group of mostly alpha-hemolytic streptococci. The alpha-hemolytic bacteria are ones that exhibit a partial

hemolysis Hemolysis or haemolysis (), also known by #Nomenclature, several other names, is the rupturing (lysis) of red blood cells (erythrocytes) and the release of their contents (cytoplasm) into surrounding fluid (e.g. blood plasma). Hemolysis may ...

with green coloration when grown on sheep blood agar (see image.)

Ecology

''Streptococcus ferus'' was originally isolated from the oral cavity wild rats who were living in sugar cane fields and eating a high sucrose diet The species name ''ferus'', meaning wild, refers to their association with these animals. More recently the strain has also been isolated from the nasal and oral cavities of pigs. The species has not been identified in any other host organisms.

Morphology

''Streptococcus ferus'' are

gram positive In bacteriology, gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that give a positive result in the Gram stain test, which is traditionally used to quickly classify bacteria into two broad categories according to their type of cell wall. The Gram stain i ...

lanceolate The following terms are used to describe leaf plant morphology, morphology in the description and taxonomy (biology), taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (that is, the leaf blade or 'lamina' is undivided) or compound (that is, the leaf blade ...

coccobacillus Bacterial cellular morphologies are the shapes that are characteristic of various types of bacteria and often key to their identification. Their direct examination under a light microscope enables the classification of these bacteria (and archae ...

Non-motile and approximately 0.5 micrometers in diameter. They are non-sporulating and

catalase Catalase is a common enzyme found in nearly all living organisms exposed to oxygen (such as bacteria, plants, and animals) which catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. It is a very important enzyme in protecting ...

-negative The majority of specimens test positive for the production of acetoin (Vogues-Proskauer reaction). They occur singly, in pairs or in short chains.

Pathogenicity

''Streptococcus ferus'' is commensal in wild rats and pigs and demonstrates a relatively weak cariogenic potential compared to other streptococcus species such as ''S. mutans'' ''S. ferus'' has not had any reported pathogenic instances in humans.

History

''Streptococcus ferus'' was originally proposed as a species in 1977

References

External links

Type strain of ''Streptococcus ferus'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7623350 Streptococcaceae