Name: Micrococcus luteus (Schroeter 1872) Cohn 1872 (Approved Lists 1980)

Category: Species

Proposed as: comb. nov.

Basonym: "Bacteridium luteum" Schroeter 1872

Etymology: lu’te.us. L. masc. adj. luteus, golden yellow

Gender: masculine

Type strain: ATCC 4698; BCRC 80739; CCM 169; CCUG 5858; CECT 5053; CGMCC 1.2299; CIP A270; DSM 20030; HAMBI 1399; HAMBI 26; IEGM 391; IFO 3333; JCM 1464; LMG 4050; NBRC 3333; NCCB 78001; NCIB 9278; NCIMB 9278; NCTC 2665; NRRL B-287; VKM B-1314

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AJ536198 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Cohn F. Untersuchungen über Bakterien. In: Cohn F (eds), Beiträge zur Biologie der Pflanzen 1 (Heft 2), 1872, Max Müller, Breslau, 1875, p. 127-224.

IJSEM list: Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name

Risk group: 1

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    "Bacteridium luteum" Schroeter 1872	homotypic synonym, not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists

• Emendations:
  • Wieser et al. 2002 Wieser M, Denner EB, Kampfer P, Schumann P, Tindall B, Steiner U, Vybiral D, Lubitz W, Maszenan AM, Patel BK, et al. Emended descriptions of the genus Micrococcus, Micrococcus luteus (Cohn 1872) and Micrococcus lylae (Kloos et al. 1974). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2002; 52:629-637. Anonymous. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 52, part 2 of the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2002; 52:691-692.
    Notes:
    • Strain ATCC 9341 [= DSM 348 = FDA strain PCI 1001 = NCIMB 8553 (formerly NCIB 8553; formerly NCDO 758)], previously known as Micrococcus luteus, has been designated as a quality-control strain in a number of applications. It is also cited as the standard culture in several official methods and manuals, as well as the Code of Federal Regulations. A polyphasic study was performed in which molecular data were combined with cytochemical properties and physiological characteristics. The results clearly indicate that ATCC 9341 is a member of the genus Kocuria. Thus, J.S. Tang and P.M. Gillevet, propose to reclassify ATCC 9341 as Kocuria rhizophila. Since this culture is cited in many applications as an official standard strain, the authors hope to alert users by publishing the name change in the IJSEM. Manuals, procedures and documents need to be updated to reflect this change.
    • The species Micrococcus luteus (Schroeter 1872) Cohn 1872 (Approved Lists 1980) emend. Wieser et al. 2002 can be divided into three biovars that are distinguished by several chemotaxonomic and biochemical traits: biovar I represented by the type strain of Micrococcus luteus; biovar II represented by strain D7 DSM 14234 CCM 4959; and biovar III represented by strain Ballarat DSM 14235 CCM 4960. — Strain ATCC 9341[DSM 348 FDA strain PCI 1001 NCIMB 8553 (formerly NCIB 8553; formerly NCDO 758)], previously known as Micrococcus luteus, has been designated as a quality-control strain in a number of applications. It is also cited as the standard culture in several official methods and manuals, as well as the Code of Federal Regulations. A polyphasic study was performed in which molecular data were combined with cytochemical properties and physiological characteristics. The results clearly indicate that ATCC 9341 is a member of the genus Kocuria. Thus, J.S. Tang and P.M. Gillevet, propose to reclassify ATCC 9341 as Kocuria rhizophila. Since this culture is cited in many applications as an official standard strain, the authors hope to alert users by publishing the name change in the IJSEM. Manuals, procedures and documents need to be updated to reflect this change.
  • Nouioui et al. 2018 Nouioui I, Carro L, Garcia-Lopez M, Meier-Kolthoff JP, Woyke T, Kyrpides NC, Pukall R, Klenk HP, Goodfellow M, Goker M. Genome-Based Taxonomic Classification of the Phylum Actinobacteria. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2007. Oren A, Garrity GM. List of changes in taxonomic opinion no. 29. Notification of changes in taxonomic opinion previously published outside the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2019; 69:13-32.
  • Huang et al. 2019 Huang CH, Wang CL, Liou JS, Lee AY, Blom J, Huang L, Watanabe K. Reclassification of Micrococcus aloeverae and Micrococcus yunnanensis as later heterotypic synonyms of Micrococcus luteus. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2019; 69:3512-3518. Oren A, Garrity GM. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 69, part 11 of the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:705-707.

• Notes:
  • Nomenclatural type of the genus Micrococcus Cohn 1872 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Cohn F. Untersuchungen über Bakterien. In: Cohn F (eds), Beiträge zur Biologie der Pflanzen 1 (Heft 2), 1872, Max Müller, Breslau, 1875, p. 127-224.
  • According to Bartlett et al. (2022), this species is an established human pathogen. Publication: Bartlett A, Padfield D, Lear L, Bendall R, Vos M. A comprehensive list of bacterial pathogens infecting humans. Microbiology 2022; 168:0.

Parent taxon: Micrococcus Cohn 1872 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Cohn F. Untersuchungen über Bakterien. In: Cohn F (eds), Beiträge zur Biologie der Pflanzen 1 (Heft 2), 1872, Max Müller, Breslau, 1875, p. 127-224.

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Record number: 778120