Mycobacterium asiaticum
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Phylum:	Actinomycetota
Class:	Actinomycetia
Order:	Mycobacteriales
Family:	Mycobacteriaceae
Genus:	Mycobacterium
Species:	M. asiaticum
Binomial name
Mycobacterium asiaticum Weiszfeiler et al. 1971, ATCC 25276

Mycobacterium asiaticum is a slowly growing photochromogenic mycobacterium first isolated from monkeys in 1965. M. asiaticum can, but rarely, causes human pulmonary disease.

Description

Microscopy

• Gram-positive, nonmotile, acid-fast, coccoid rods.

Colony characteristics

• Dysgonic and yellow photochromogenic (pigment not produced in the dark) colonies.

Physiology

• Slow growth on Löwenstein-Jensen medium at 37 °C after 15–21 days.

Differential characteristics

• Unique 16S rRNA sequence.
• Biochemically M. asiaticum (photochromogenic) and Mycobacterium gordonae (scotochromogenic) can only be differentiated by the mode of pigmentation.

Pathogenesis

• Rarely causes human pulmonary disease.

Type strain

• First isolated from monkeys in 1965.
• Strain ATCC 25276 = CCUG 29115 = CIP 106809 = DSM 44297 = JCM 6409.