Clostridium methylpentosum sp. nov.: a ring-shaped intestinal bacterium that ferments only methylpentoses and pentoses.

An intestinal bacterium isolated from a human subject utilized only two methylpentoses (L-rhamnose and L-fucose) and two pentoses (L-lyxose and D-arabinose) as fermentable substrates, among many compounds tested. The isolate was obligately anaerobic and had a distinctive morphology, its cells being rods bent in the shape of rings with the ends slightly overlapping. Single ring-shaped cells and left-handed helical chains of cells were present in cultures. The cells were surrounded by large capsules which appeared as thick, fibrous masses when examined by electron microscopy. Capsules were formed by cells growing in media containing any one of the four fermentable substrates. Terminally located, heat-resistant endospores were formed on plates of an enriched agar medium supplemented with L-rhamnose. End products of L-rhamnose or L-fucose fermentation included acetate, propionate, n-propanol, CO2, and H2. The isolate represented a new species of Clostridium for which the name Clostridium methylpentosum (type strain R2, ATCC 43829) is proposed. This organism may participate in intestinal digestive processes by metabolizing rhamnose released via the enzymatic depolymerization of dietary pectin.