CHARACTERIZATION OF EUBACTERIUM-COPROSTANOLIGENES SP-NOV A CHOLESTEROL-REDUCING ANAEROBE

A small, anaerobic, gram-positive coccobacillus that reduces cholester ol to coprostanol was isolated from a hog sewage lagoon. This isolate, strain HL(T) (T = type strain) does not require cholesterol for growt h, but it requires lecithin and has phospholipase activity. Much acid is produced by the fermentation of amygdalin, lactose, and salicin. Ar abinose, cellobiose, fructose, glucose, mannose, and melibiose are fer mented weakly. Acetic, formic, and succinic acids are produced, as is hydrogen. The isolate does not reduce nitrate, produce indole, or hydr olyze starch and gelatin. Esculin is hydrolyzed. The properties of str ain HL(T) are most similar to those of members of the genus Eubacteriu m. Because strain HL (= ATCC 51222) has unique morphological and physi ological properties, we propose that it should be the type strain of a new species in the genus Eubacterium, Eubacterium coprostanoligenes.