Corynebacterium glucuronolyticum

Corynebacterium glucuronolyticum is a species of Gram-positive bacteria in the genus Corynebacterium. It is facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped, and typically non-motile. This species has been associated with genitourinary tract infections, particularly in men, and is considered an opportunistic pathogen. Though often underrecognized in clinical settings due to its slow growth and resemblance to commensal species, it is increasingly identified in both human and veterinary microbiology.

Corynebacterium glucuronolyticum
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Kingdom:	Bacillati
Phylum:	Actinomycetota
Class:	Actinomycetia
Order:	Mycobacteriales
Family:	Corynebacteriaceae
Genus:	Corynebacterium
Species:	C. glucuronolyticum
Binomial name
Corynebacterium glucuronolyticum Funke et al. 1995
Type strain
DSM 44120, ATCC 51860, CCUG 35055, CIP 104577, JCM 11612, LMG 19047

Taxonomy

Corynebacterium glucuronolyticum was first described in 1995 following its isolation from male patients with genitourinary infections.^[1] A closely related taxon, Corynebacterium seminale, was described shortly after but later shown to be a heterotypic synonym, with C. glucuronolyticum having nomenclatural priority.^[2]

Morphology and physiology

C. glucuronolyticum consists of short, pleomorphic rods measuring approximately 1–3 µm. It stains Gram-positive and is non-spore-forming. Colonies grown on blood agar are typically white to yellowish, convex, and non-hemolytic, reaching 1–1.5 mm in diameter after 24–48 hours at 37°C. Growth is enhanced in 5% CO₂, while it is poor or absent at 25 °C and 42 °C.

Ecology

The species has been isolated from the urogenital tract of men, including semen, urine, and prostatic secretions.^[3] It has also been recovered from the urogenital tracts of pigs, including boar semen and vaginal swabs from sows, suggesting that it may form part of the normal microbiota in multiple mammalian hosts.^[2]

Clinical relevance

C. glucuronolyticum has been associated with chronic prostatitis and non-gonococcal urethritis in men. Due to its slow growth rate and specific culture requirements, the organism may be underdiagnosed. Nevertheless, confirmed cases of symptomatic genitourinary tract infection have been documented.^[3]