Brevibacterium

Brevibacterium is a genus of bacteria of the order Actinomycetales. They are Gram-positive soil organisms. It is the sole genus in the family Brevibacteriaceae.

Note: Brevibacterium stationis may now be re-classified as Corynebacterium stationis.

Brevibacterium linens is ubiquitously present on the human skin, where it causes foot odor. The familiar odor is due to sulphur containing compounds known as S-methyl thioesters. The same bacterium is also employed to ferment several cheeses such as Munster, Limburger, Port-du-Salut, Raclette, Livarot, Pont l'Eveque and Năsal. Its aroma also attracts mosquitoes.

The first comprehensive proteomic reference map of B. linens was recently published

Further reading

Mimura, Haruo (September 2014). "Growth Enhancement of the Halotolerant "Brevibacterium" sp JCM 6894 by Methionine Externally Added to a Chemically Defined Medium". Biocontrol Science 19 (3): 151–155.

Shabbiri, Khadija; Botting, Catherine H.; Adnan, Ahmad; Fuszard, Matthew; Naseem, Shahid; Ahmed, Safeer; Shujaat, Shahida; Syed, Quratulain; Ahmad, Waqar (April 2014). "An Investigation into Membrane Bound Redox Carriers Involved in Energy Transduction Mechanism in Brevibacterium linens DSM 20158 with Unsequenced Genome". Journal of Membrane Biology 247 (4): 345–355. doi:10.1007/s00232-014-9641-4. PMID 24573306.