''Brevibacterium linens'' is a
gram-positive,
rod-shaped
A bacillus (), also called a bacilliform bacterium or often just a rod (when the context makes the sense clear), is a rod-shaped bacterium or archaeon. Bacilli are found in many different taxonomic groups of bacteria. However, the name ''Bacillu ...
bacterium
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...
. It is the
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...
of the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
''
Brevibacteriaceae''.
''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 also employed to ferment several
washed-rind and smear-ripened cheeses such as
Munster
Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rà ruirech). Following the ...
,
Limburger
Limburger (in southern Dutch contexts Rommedoe, and in Belgium Herve cheese) is a cheese that originated in the Herve area of the historical Duchy of Limburg, which had its capital in Limbourg-sur-Vesdre, now in the French-speaking Belgian pr ...
,
Tilsit cheese
Tilsit cheese or Tilsiter cheese is a pale yellow semihard smear-ripened cheese, created in the mid-19th century by Prussian-Swiss settlers, the Westphal family, from the Emmental valley. The original buildings from the cheese plant still exist i ...
,
Port-du-Salut,
Raclette
Raclette (, ) is a Swiss dish, also popular in the other Alpine countries, based on heating cheese and scraping off the melted part, then typically served with boiled potatoes. Raclette cheese is historically a dish originating from the canton of ...
,
Livarot
Livarot () is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Livarot-Pays-d'Auge.
The population is composed of 2,052 inhabitants (in 2017) and t ...
,
Pont l'Eveque,
Époisses,
Wisconsin Brick,
Năsal and
Pálpusztai. Its aroma also attracts mosquitoes.
The first comprehensive
proteomic reference map of ''B. linens'' was published in 2013.
References
External links
Type strain of ''Brevibacterium linens'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
Bacteria used in dairy products
Bacteria described in 1953
Micrococcales
{{actinobacteria-stub