Soil Bacteria Similar in Morphology to Mycobacterium and Corynebacterium

Abstract

The writers have made a study of soil bacteria showing considerable morphological variation, and which have been regarded as species of Corynebacterium by H. L. Jensen, and as Mycobacterium by Krassilnikov. After comparison with other cultures, the authors have concluded that the soil organisms are sufficiently different from the diphtheria and tubercle organisms (which are the types of the 2 genera, respectively) to be placed in those genera. The authors propose for such bacteria to revive an old nomen nudum of Fischer''s, Arthrobacter, assigning to it as a type species, A. globiforme (syn. Bacterium globiforme Conn). Included in the genus are 2 other spp. previously considered by Jensen to belong in Corynebacterium, namely Arthrobacter helvolum and A. tumescens. Descriptions of these species are given.