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Corynebacterium

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

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Corynebacterium is a genus of bacteria, of which the most important is C.diphtheriae, which causes diphtheria.

Pathogenic C. diphtheriae is differentiated from non-pathogenic 'diphtheroids' by:

  • pathogenicity tests in vivo
  • toxogenicity tests in vitro
  • biochemical tests:
    • pathogens generally cannot ferment sucrose or hydrolyse urea
    • C. ulcerans, a pathogen, is an exception in that it can hydrolyse urea
  • cultivation:
    • diphtheroids:
      • are more regular in appearance
      • tend to grow side-by-side
      • tend to form black colonies with tellurite medium
    • C. diphtheriae:
    • show pleomorphism of form
      • are irregularly orientated with respect to each other
      • exhibit metachromatic granules
      • tend to form dark grey colonies with tellurite medium

Generic properties are detailed in the submenu.

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