Streptococcus mitis
A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Streptococcus mitis
Classification
Higher order taxa
Bacteria; Firmicutes; Bacilli; Lactobacillales; Streptococcaceae;
Species
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NCBI: Taxonomy |
Streptococcus mitis
Description and significance
Streptococcus mitis are commensal bacteria that colonize hard surfaces in the oral cavity such as dental hard tissues as well as mucous membranes and are part of the oral flora. They are usually arranged in short chains in the shape of cocci (10). These Gram-positive bacteria are not usually pathogenic but commonly cause bacterial endocarditis, which is the inflammation of an inner layer of the heart. S. mitis are alpha hemolytic, meaning it can break down red blood cells. S. mitis are not motile, do not form spores and lack group-specific antigens (2). S. mitis live optimally at temperatures between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius, making them mesophiles. They are facultative anaerobes, which is a bacterium that makes ATP by aerobic respiration if oxygen is present but is also capable of switching to fermentation in the absence of oxygen (7).
Genome structure
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Cell structure and metabolism
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Ecology
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Pathology
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Application to Biotechnology
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Current Research
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References
Edited by student of Rachel Larsen
