?:definition
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A species of aerobic or facultatively anaerobic, Gram-positive, coryneform, pleomorphic bacilli assigned to the phylum Actinobacteria. This species is nonmotile, non-spore forming, catalase positive, non-lipophilic, produces diphtheria toxin which inhibits elongation factor 2 (EF-2) thus preventing protein synthesis, forms polar granules, and is cultured in Loeffler\'s serum in a low iron environment or on tellurite agar. C diphtheriae is commensal in the skin and nasopharynx, but toxin producing strains are pathogenic to humans causing diphtheria; both an antitoxin and vaccine are available for disease prevention.
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