Brevibacterium linens

Brevibacterium linens is a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium. It is the type species of the family Brevibacteriaceae.^[3]

Brevibacterium linens
German Romadur cheese, with Brevibacterium linens causing "red smear" on its surface
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Kingdom:	Bacillati
Phylum:	Actinomycetota
Class:	Actinomycetia
Order:	Micrococcales
Family:	Brevibacteriaceae
Genus:	Brevibacterium
Species:	B. linens
Binomial name
Brevibacterium linens (Wolff 1910) Breed 1953 (Approved Lists 1980)[1]
Type strain
ATCC 9172[2] CIP 101125 DSM 20425 HAMBI 2038 IFO 12142 JCM 1327 NBRC 12142 NRRL B-4210 VKM Ac-2112
Synonyms[2]
"Bacterium linens" Wolff 1910

Brevibacterium linens is ubiquitously present on the human skin, where it causes foot odor. The familiar odor is due to sulfur-containing compounds known as S-methyl thioesters. The same bacterium is employed to ferment several washed-rind and smear-ripened cheeses, such as Munster, Limburger, Tilsit cheese, Port-Salut, Raclette, Livarot, Pont l'Eveque, Époisses, Wisconsin Brick, Năsal, and Pálpusztai. It is also used in the production of blue cheese, in addition to the mold Penicillium roqueforti. Its aroma also attracts mosquitoes.^[4]

The first comprehensive proteomic reference map of B. linens was published in 2013.^[5]

See also

• Blue cheese