Pseudomonas - Characteristics

Characteristics

Members of the genus display the following defining characteristics:

• Rod shaped
• Gram-negative
• One or more polar flagella, providing motility
• Aerobic
• Non–spore forming
• positive catalase test
• positive oxidase test.

Other characteristics which tend to be associated with Pseudomonas species (with some exceptions) include secretion of pyoverdine, a fluorescent yellow-green siderophore under iron-limiting conditions. Certain Pseudomonas species may also produce additional types of siderophore, such as pyocyanin by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and thioquinolobactin by Pseudomonas fluorescens,. Pseudomonas species also typically give a positive result to the oxidase test, the absence of gas formation from glucose, glucose is oxidised in oxidation/fermentation test using Hugh and Leifson O/F test, beta hemolytic (on blood agar), indole negative, methyl red negative, Voges–Proskauer test negative, and citrate positive.