COMPARATIVE STUDY OF GAFFKYA HOMARI, AEROCOCCUS VIRIDANS , TETRAD-FORMING COCCI FROM MEAT CURING BRINES, AND THE GENUS PEDIOCOCCUS

Abstract

A comparative study was made of gram-positive, tetrad-forming cocci from cured meat and meat-curing brines, Gaffkya homari, and Aerococcus viridans. These cultures were sufficiently similar in their morphological and physiological characteristics to justify placing them into a single species. Because of their close relationship to the genus Pediococcus, it is proposed that they be placed into the species Pediococcus homari nov. comb. In addition to characteristic morphological features, P. homari is a facultative, salt tolerant, homofermentative bacteriun that produces little or no catalase, forms dextro-rotatory lactic acid from sugar fermentation, and fails to reduce nitrate, or liquefy gelatin. It differs from P. cerevisiae in that it has a rather high limiting pH, produces strong greening on blood agar, generally ferments mannitol, is less tolerant to sodium azide, and does not require the citrovorum factor for growth.