What is the Difference Between E Coli and Serratia Marcescens?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚E. coli and Serratia marcescens are both gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria, but they belong to different families and have distinct characteristics:
E. coli:
- Belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family.
- Found in the human gastrointestinal tract and forms an important part of the gut microbiota.
- Can be non-motile or motile.
- Does not produce any pink or red discoloration.
- Cannot hydrolyze casein.
- Does not grow in a citrate medium (citrate negative).
- Part of faecal flora and acts as a bioindicator organism.
Serratia marcescens:
- Belongs to the Yersiniaceae family.
- Found in damp environments like water bodies and soil, and commonly seen in bathrooms.
- Is motile.
- Produces pink or pinkish-orange film on shampoo and soap residues.
- Can hydrolyze casein.
- Can utilize a citrate medium (citrate positive).
- Is not a part of faecal flora.
E. coli is a coliform bacterium that is normally found in the intestines of healthy people and animals, while S. marcescens is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause hospital-acquired infections, including urinary tract infections and wound infections.
Comparative Table: E Coli vs Serratia Marcescens
Here is a table comparing the differences between E. coli and Serratia marcescens:
Feature | E. coli | Serratia marcescens |
---|---|---|
Shape | Rod-shaped | Rod-shaped |
Fixed k1 antigen | Present | Absent |
Group 9 flagellar antigen (H2 or O4) | Present | Absent |
Location | Human gastrointestinal tract | Damp environments like water bodies and soil, commonly found in bathrooms |
Motility | Non-motile or motile | Motile |
Gut microbiota | Part of gut microbiota | Not part of gut microbiota |
Pathogenic infections | Causes infections like vomiting, hemorrhagic colitis, etc. | Commonly involved in nosocomial infections (hospital-acquired infections), urinary tract infections, catheter-associated infections, wound infections, etc. |
Special ability | Does not produce pink or red discoloration | Produces pink or pinkish-orange film on shampoo and soap residues |
Casein hydrolysis | Unable to hydrolyze casein | Can hydrolyze casein |
Citrate medium | Citrate negative (cannot utilize citrate medium) | Citrate positive (can utilize citrate medium) |
Part of faecal flora | Yes, as a bioindicator organism | No |
Both E. coli and Serratia marcescens are gram-negative bacteria belonging to the order Enterobacteriales and are facultative anaerobic organisms. However, they have different locations, motility, and pathogenic potentials. While E. coli is a part of the human gut microbiota and can cause various infections, Serratia marcescens is found in damp environments and is commonly involved in hospital-acquired infections.
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