Mycobacterium smegmatis

Mycobacterium smegmatis
	;
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Bacteria;
Phylum:	Actinobacteria;
Order:	Actinomycetales;
Family:	Mycobacteriaceae;
Genus:	Mycobacterium;
Species:	M. smegmatis;
Binomial name
	Mycobacterium smegmatis; (Trevisan 1889); Lehmann & Neumann 1899

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Mycobacterium smegmatis is an acid-fast bacterial species in the genus Mycobacterium. It was first reported in November 1884 by Lustgarten who found a bacillus with the staining appearance of tubercle bacilli in syphilitic chancres. Subsequently, Alvarez and Tavel found organisms similar to that described by Lustgarten as well as in normal genital secretions (smegma). This organism was later named M. smegmatis.

M. smegmatis is generally considered a non-pathogenic microorganism; however, in some very rare cases it may cause disease, likely requiring an immunocompromised animal.
Mycobacterium smegmatis is useful for the research analysis of other Mycobacteria species in laboratory experiments. M. smegmatis is commonly used in work on the mycobacterium species due to it being a "fast grower" and being non-pathogenic.