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. References SKERMAN (V.B.D.), McGOWAN (V.) and SNEATH (P.H.A.) (editors): Approved Lists of Bacterial Names. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 1980, 30, 225–420. [WEISZFEILER (J.), KARASSEVA (G.V.) and KARCZAG (E.): A new Mycobacterium species: Mycobacterium asiaticum n. sp. Acta Microbiologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 1971, 18, 247–252. External links Type strain of Mycobacterium asiaticum at BacDive - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase Acid-fast bacilli asiaticum Bacteria described in 1971