Cellulomonas is a genus of coryneform bacteria with uncertain taxonomic classifications. On agar media Cellulomonas species show mycelia-like fringes and form filaments, which may be branching, and fragments subsequently into pleomorphic rods.
Cellulomonas species have been among the first bacteria to be subjected to 16S rDNA cataloguing. This revealed their phylogenetic relatedness to members of Arthrobacter, Micrococcus and related taxa. The genus Cellulomonas comprises Gram-variable, aerobic, anaerobic or facultatively anaerobic bacteria, which are living in soils. The G+C contents of the DNA range between 71.3 and 76 mol% and do not allow differentiation of species. Cellulomonas species are able to grow under aerobic and microaerophilic conditions, C. fermentans and C. uda strain ATCC 21399 even grow under strictly anaerobic conditions as well. Cellulomonas species are characterized by degradation of cellulose in a chemoorganic-heterotrophic metabolism. In most strains rhamnose is the dominant cell wall sugar. The predominant fatty acids are branched 13-methyltetradecanoic acids, 12-methyltetradecanoic acids and straight-chain pentadecanoic acids. Phosphatidyglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and a phosphoglycolipid are the major polarlipids. Menaquinones of the MK9 (H4) type are the predominant isoprenoid quinones.