Enterobacter cloacae

Microbiology

In microbiology laboratories, E. cloacae is frequently grown at 30 °C on nutrient agar or at 35 °C in tryptic soy broth. It is a rod-shaped, Gram-negative bacterium, is facultatively anaerobic, and bears peritrichous flagella. It is oxidase-negative and catalase-positive.

Industrial use

Enterobacter cloacae has been used in a bioreactor-based method for the biodegradation of explosives and in the biological control of plant diseases. Enterobacter cloacae strain MBB8 isolated from the Gulf of Mannar, India was reported to degrade poly vinyl alcohol (PVA). This was the first report of a PVA degrader from the Enterobacter genus. E. cloacae was also reported to produce exopolysaccharide (EPS) as high as 18.3g/L. GC-MS analysis of E. cloacae EPS showed the presence of glucose and mannose in the molar ratio of 1: 1.5e−2.

Enterobacter cloacae subsp. cloacae strain PR-4 was isolated and identified by 16S rDNA gene sequence with phylogenetic tree view from explosive-laden soil by P. Ravikumar (GenBank accession number KP261383).

E. cloacae SG208 identified as a predominant microorganism in mixed culture isolated from petrochemical sludge (IOCL, Guwahati) responsible for degradation of benzene was reported by Padhi and Gokhale (2016).

Safety

Enterobacter cloacae is considered a biosafety level 1 organism in the United States and level 2 in Canada.

Genomics

A draft genome sequence of Enterobacter cloacae subsp. cloacae was announced in 2012. The bacteria used in the study were isolated from giant panda feces.

Clinical significance

Enterobacter cloacae is a member of the normal gut flora of many humans and is not usually a primary pathogen. Some strains have been associated with urinary tract and respiratory tract infections in immunocompromised individuals. It is a high risk AmpC producer and treatment with cefepime is recommended by the IDSA if causing disease rather than simply colonising. Treatment using cefepime and gentamicin has been reported.

A 2012 study in which Enterobacter cloacae was transplanted into previously germ-free mice resulted in increased obesity when compared with germ-free mice fed an identical diet, suggesting a link between obesity and the presence of Enterobacter gut flora.

References

References

1. (September 2008). "Investigation of an outbreak of Enterobacter cloacae in a neonatal unit and review of the literature.". The Journal of Hospital Infection.
2. (2017-05-24). "Biochemical Test and Identification of Enterobacter cloacae". microbiologyinfo.
3. (2003). "The use of Enterobacter cloacae ATCC 43560 in the development of a two-phase partitioning bioreactor for the destruction of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-s-triazine (RDX)". Journal of Biotechnology.
4. (2021). "Biorefining Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) by Enterobacter cloacae and its Polyhydroxy Butyrate (PHB) Production Ability.". Industrial Biotechnology.
5. (2021). "Exopolysaccharide production by optimized medium using novel marine Enterobacter cloacae MBB8 isolate and its antioxidant potential.". Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications.
6. Ravikumar. P. GenBank New holotype for Enterobacter cloacae subsp. cloacae strain PR-4 isolated and identified by 16S rDNA gene sequence with Phylogenetic tree view, from explosive laden soil. ''Int J.of Res in Engineering and Science'', (6) 5:53-65 2016.
7. Padhi, S.K., Gokhale, S., 2016. Benzene biodegradation by indigenous mixed microbial culture: Kinetic modeling and process optimization. ''International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation''. {{doi. 10.1016/j.ibiod.2016.10.011
8. Yan, Y. (December 2012). "Draft Genome Sequence of Enterobacter cloacae subsp. cloacae Strain 08XA1, a Fecal Bacterium of Giant Pandas.". Journal of Bacteriology.
9. Keller, R. (February 1998). "Occurrence of virulence-associated properties in Enterobacter cloacae.". Infection and Immunity.
10. "AMR Guidance".
11. (April 2003). "Enterobacter cloacae ventriculitis successfully treated with cefepime and gentamicin: case report and review of the literature". Pharmacotherapy.
12. Na Fei. (13 December 2012). "An opportunistic pathogen isolated from the gut of an obese human causes obesity in germfree mice". The ISME Journal.