Morganella morganii (M. morganii)

Morganella morganii is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium belonging to the Morganellaceae family (formerly within Enterobacteriaceae) that is commonly found in the environment and as part of the human intestinal microbiota [1][2]. Although often a commensal organism, it acts as an opportunistic pathogen frequently associated with nosocomial infections, including urinary tract infections (UTIs), bacteremia, and surgical wound infections, particularly in immunocompromised or postoperative patients [2][3]. The bacterium is characterized by its ability to produce urease, which contributes to its pathogenicity in the urinary tract, and it exhibits significant intrinsic resistance to various antibiotics, such as ampicillin, amoxicillin, and first-generation cephalosporins [3][4]. Therapeutic management is often complicated by the organism's ability to develop multidrug resistance through the production of AmpC beta-lactamases and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) [4][5]. Because Morganella morganii is a whole organism containing thousands of potential molecular targets (such as ribosomes and cell wall enzymes) rather than a single receptor or protein, it is classified as a pathogen rather than a specific therapeutic target molecule [1][5]. Sources: [1] StatPearls: Morganella Morganii (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553149/) [2] Wikipedia: Morganella morganii (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morganella_morganii) [3] NCBI Taxonomy Browser (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=582) [4] PubMed: Clinical significance of Morganella morganii (PMID: 25191147) [5] MSD Manual: Introduction to Gram-Negative Bacilli (https://www.msdmanuals.com/)

Other names

Proteus morganiiMorgan's bacillusBacterium morganii

Drugs targeting this organism typically act via inhibition of cell wall synthesis (beta-lactams), inhibition of DNA gyrase/topoisomerase IV (fluoroquinolones), or inhibition of the 30S ribosomal subunit (aminoglycosides).