The flagellin gene of Borrelia miyamotoi sp. nov. and its phylogenetic relationship among Borrelia species

We have cloned and sequenced the flagellin gene from Borrelia miyamotoi strain HT31 and compared it with previously published flagellin sequences. Sequence similarity analysis demonstrated that strain HT31 is phylogenetically distant from the three species of Lyme disease borreliae is deeply branched into the relapsing fever borrelia cluster. The result was in full agreement with the classification of Borrelia strains using 16S tRNA sequences. This finding indicates that a phylogenetic analysis using flagellin gene sequences might be useful for classification of Borrelia strains.     

New brown chlorobacteria Prosthecochloris phaeoasteroidea nov. sp

Two strains of new photosynthetic bacteria were isolated from salt meromictic lakes Mogilnoye and Faro. The bacteria are abligate phototrophic anaerobic cultures which utilize H2S as an electron donor by oxidizing it to elementary sulphur and sulphates. Sulphur is liberated outside the cell. The cultures contain bacteriochlorophyll e and carotenoids of the isorenierathene type. Photosynthetic structures are represented by chlorobium-vesicles. According to these properties, the cultures belong to the Chlorobiaceae family. The bacteria have no gas vacuoles. The cells form 10--20 apophyses-prosthecae which is typical of the Prostheocochloris genus. The new strains differ from Prosthecochloris aestuarii by the brown colour of the cell suspension, the composition of pigments, and ecology. They are classed as a new species Prostheocochloris phaeoasteroidea nov. sp. Diagnosis of the new species is presented.     

Paenibacillus apiarius sp. nov

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Steroid dependence and early relapse are frequent after a prednisolone-induces remission in Crohn's disease. The aim of this trial was to test whether mesalamine started at the onset of steroid tapering increases the rate of weaning from prednisolone and reduces the relapse rate after prednisolone cessation. METHODS: One hundred fifty patients with active Crohn's disease were administered oral prednisolone (1 mg.kg(-1). day(-1)) x 3-7 weeks; 129 patients went into clinical remission and were randomized to Pentasa (4 g . day(-1)) or placebo, administered until weaning and for 1 year thereafter. RESULTS: Groups were similar for clinical and biological items collected initially. Weaning failure rate was 30% and 12% in the placebo and mesalamine arms, respectively. At the end of the trial, 9 of 36 patients administered placebo and 14 of 48 administered mesalamine were in remission. Both groups had similar time to relapse curves in the postweaning year; after adjusting for risk factors (high Crohn's Disease Activity Index, white blood cell count of >9 x 10(9) /l-1 at weaning, and use of a medical treatment in the month before inclusion), Pentasa was found to be superior to placebo. CONCLUSIONS: After a prednisolone-induces remission in Crohn's disease, mesalamine facilitates steroid withdrawal and, during the postweaning year, may reduce the relapse rate in certain patient subgroups.     

Bacillus curdlanolyticus sp. nov. and Bacillus kobensis sp. nov., which hydrolyze resistant curdlan

Taxonomic characteristics of seven bacterial strains which were isolated from soil and hydrolyze resistant curdlan were studied. These bacteria were aerobic, spore-forming rods, contained menaquinone 7 as a major quinone, contained anteiso-C15:0 and iso-C16:0 as major cellular fatty acids, had guanine-plus-cytosine contents of 50 to 52 mol%, and could be divided into two groups on the basis of physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics and DNA-DNA hybridization data. We propose the following two new species: Bacillus curdlanolyticus for strains YK9, YK121, YK161, YK201, and YK203, with type strain YK9 (= IFO 15724); and Bacillus kobensis for strains YK205 and YK207, with type strain YK205 (= IFO 15729).     

Isolation and characterization of a novel facultatively alkaliphilic Nitrobacter species, N. alkalicus sp. nov

BACKGROUND: The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) established criteria to discriminate among patients with seven types of vasculitis. Although designated as "classification criteria" for research, these criteria are often used for diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: To examine the operating characteristics of the 1990 ACR classification criteria in the diagnosis of Wegener granulomatosis, giant-cell arteritis, polyarteritis nodosa, and hypersensitivity vasculitis. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: University medical center and Veterans Affairs medical center. PATIENTS: 198 consecutive patients referred to rheumatologists for evaluation of possible vasculitis. Measurements: Blinded chart audits were done to classify patients according to the 1990 ACR classification criteria for Wegener granulomatosis, polyarteritis nodosa, giant-cell arteritis, and hypersensitivity vasculitis on the basis of the patients' initial presentation. Chart audits done 2 to 8 months after baseline provided the patients' final diagnoses, which were considered the gold standard, as in the development of the ACR criteria. Test operating characteristics of the ACR classification criteria were calculated according to 2 x 2 tables for the entire cohort and for only the patients with a final diagnosis of vasculitis. RESULTS: Vasculitis was diagnosed in 51 (26%) patients. Thirty-eight (75%) of 51 patients with vasculitis and 31 (21%) of 147 patients without vasculitis met ACR criteria for one or more types of vasculitis. The positive predictive values for the four vasculitides according to ACR criteria were 17% to 29% for the entire cohort and 29% to 75% for only the patients with a final diagnosis of vasculitis. CONCLUSION: The 1990 ACR classification criteria function poorly in the diagnosis of specific vasculitides.     

Isolation of Arthrobacter spp. from clinical specimens and description of Arthrobacter cumminsii sp. nov. and Arthrobacter woluwensis sp. nov

Arthrobacter spp. are very widely distributed in the environment (e.g., soil) but have not been described as causing disease in humans. Over a 6-year period, two reference laboratories isolated or received 11 strains which were eventually identified as belonging to the genus Arthrobacter. These strains had been initially identified as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention coryneform group B-1 and B-3 bacteria (whitishgrayish colonies of 2 mm or greater in diameter after 24 h of incubation, respiratory metabolism, absent or weak acid production from sugars, and hydrolysis of gelatin). However, chemotaxonomic investigations revealed lysine as the diamino acid of the cell wall and the presence of branched cellular fatty acids (with anteiso-pentadecanoic acid predominating) which was compatible with an assignment of the 11 isolates to the genus Arthrobacter only. Peptidoglycan and 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses demonstrated that three of the strains studied were representatives of a new Arthrobacter species for which the name Arthrobacter cumminsii sp. nov. is proposed and that one other strain represented a second new Arthrobacter species for which the name Arthrobacter woluwensis sp. nov. is proposed. This report is the first on the isolation of Arthrobacter spp. from clinical specimens.     

Amaricoccus gen. nov., a gram-negative coccus occurring in regular packages or tetrads, isolated from activated sludge biomass, and descriptions of Amaricoccus veronensis sp. nov., Amaricoccus tamworthensis sp. nov., Amaricoccus macauensis sp. nov., and Amaricoccus kaplicensis sp. nov

Three isolates of gram-negative bacteria, strains Ben 102T, Ben 103T, and Ben 104T, were obtained in pure culture by micromanipulation from activated sludge biomass from wastewater treatment plants in Italy, Australia, and Macau, respectively. These isolates all had a distinctive morphology; the cells were cocci that usually were arranged in tetrads. Based on this criterion, they resembled other bacteria from activated sludge previously called "G" bacteria. On the basis of phenotypic characteristics and the results of 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analyses, the three isolates were very similar to each other, but were sufficiently different from their closest phylogenetic relatives (namely, the genera Rhodobacter, Rhodovulum, and Paracoccus in the alpha subdivision of the Proteobacteria) to be placed in a new genus, Amaricoccus gen. nov. Each of the three isolates represents a new species of the genus Amaricoccus; strains Ben 102T, Ben 103T, and Ben 104T are named Amaricoccus veronensis, Amaricoccus tamworthensis, and Amaricoccus macauensis, respectively. An isolate designated Ben 101T, which was isolated independently by Cech and Hartman in Kaplice, Czech Republic, was also characterized and belongs to the same genus. We propose that the isolate of Cech and Hartman should be placed in another new species, Amaricoccus kaplicensis.     

Vibrio trachuri sp. nov., a new species isolated from diseased Japanese horse mackerel

A new species, Vibrio trachuri sp. nov., was isolated from the cultured Japanese horse mackerel (Trachurus japonicus). These Vibrio were Gram negative, motile rods and formed yellow colonies on BTB teepol and TCBS plate, turned TSI medium to yellow and was sensitive to 150 microM O/129 (2,4-diamino-6,7-diisopropyl pteridine phosphate) like Listonella anguillarum which has been described as Vibrio anguillarum. However, the results of VP test and decarboxylation of lysine or dihydrolation of arginine suggested that these Vibrio are rather closely related to V. parahaemolyticus. DNA similarity determined by the microplate hybridization technique revealed that these Vibrio are genetically quite distant from Listonella anguillarum or V. parahaemolyticus and rather close to V. harveyi, although there was no Vibrio species which had more than 70% similarity value. From these results we propose to nominate Vibrio trachuri sp. nov. for this new Vibrio species.     

Corynebacterium riegelii sp. nov., an unusual species isolated from female patients with urinary tract infections

Four strains of an unknown coryneform bacterium were isolated in pure culture from females with urinary tract infections. Strong urease activity and the ability to slowly ferment maltose but not glucose were the most significant phenotypic features of this catalase-positive, nonmotile, nonlipophilic, rod-shaped bacterium which served to distinguish it from all other presently defined coryneform bacteria. Chemotaxonomic investigations demonstrated that the unknown bacterium belonged to the genus Corynebacterium. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the isolates were genealogically identical and represented a new subline within the genus Corynebacterium, for which the designation Corynebacterium riegelii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Corynebacterium riegelii is CCUG 38180 (DSM 44326, CIP 105310).     

Amycolatopsis alba sp. nov., isolated from soil

A new Amycolatopsis species isolated from soil produces a new glycopeptide antibiotic related to vancomycin. Traditional taxonomic methods and contemporary fatty acid analysis techniques were used to establish the position of this species. The hyphae fragment extensively when the organism is cultured in liquid media. The organism is characterized by white aerial hyphae that bear long chains of cylindrical conidia. The reverse side is yellowish brown; a faint light brown soluble pigment is occasionally produced. The organism has a type IV cell wall (meso-diaminopimelic acid), a type A whole-cell sugar pattern, and a type PII phospholipid pattern. Mycolic acids are not present in whole-cell hydrolysates. The major menaquinone is MK-9(H4); there is also a minor amount of MK-8(H4). The name proposed for this new species is Amycolatopsis alba. The type strain is strain A83850 (= NRRL 18532).     

Antibiotic activity of cultures of the species of the genus Actinomadura

Sixty five cultures of Actinomadura were isolated from samples of different soils. The study of their antibiotic activity on liquid nutrient media showed that 49 of them were active against gram-postive bacteria. The antibiotics isolated fromsome cultures of Am. carminata, Am. rubra, Am. coerulea and Am. luteofluorescens had antitumor effect in experiments on animals.     

Alterococcus agarolyticus, gen.nov., sp.nov., a halophilic thermophilic bacterium capable of agar degradation

Five strains of facultatively anaerobic moderately thermophilic bacteria were isolated from two hot springs in the intertidal zone of Lutao, Taiwan. They produced extracellular agarase on agar medium, yielding reducing sugars and organic acids as the end products under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions. The growth temperature range was approximately 38-58 degrees C with an optimal temperature of about 48 degrees C. The five strains tolerated a relatively narrow pH range from 7.0 to 8.5. They were Gram-negative halophiles growing optimally at 2.0-2.5% NaCl (ca. 0.34-0.43 M). They were capable of anaerobic growth by fermenting glucose and producing various organic acids such as butyrate, propionate, formate, lactate, and acetate. Cells grown in liquid medium were motile monotrichous cocci, normally 0.8-0.9 micron in diameter. They possessed saturated anteiso-15-carbon acid (anteiso-C15:0) as the most abundant cellular fatty acid (46.0-51.3 mo1%) and had G + C contents ranging from 65.5 to 67.0 mo1%. They are the first thermophiles found to degrade agar and also the first halophilic thermophilic bacteria known to be capable of both aerobic and anaerobic fermentative growth. These bacteria are considered to represent a new genus that we named Alterococcus, and Alterococcus agarolyticus is the type species.     

Chrysosporium gourii Jain, Deshmukh & Agrawal sp. nov

A new keratinophilic species, Chrysosporium gourii, an isolate of cattle farm soil of Sagar, India, is described and illustrated. The differences between this and other similar keratinophilic species of Chrysosporium are discussed.     

Characterization of Eubacterium coprostanoligenes sp. nov., a cholesterol-reducing anaerobe

A small, anaerobic, gram-positive coccobacillus that reduces cholesterol to coprostanol was isolated from a hog sewage lagoon. This isolate, strain HLT (T = type strain) does not require cholesterol for growth, but it requires lecithin and has phospholipase activity. Much acid is produced by the fermentation of amygdalin, lactose, and salicin. Arabinose, cellobiose, fructose, glucose, mannose, and melibiose are fermented weakly. Acetic, formic, and succinic acids are produced, as is hydrogen. The isolate does not reduce nitrate, produce indole, or hydrolyze starch and gelatin. Esculin is hydrolyzed. The properties of strain HLT are most similar to those of members of the genus Eubacterium. Because strain HL (= ATCC 51222) has unique morphological and physiological properties, we propose that it should be the type strain of a new species in the genus Eubacterium, Eubacterium coprostanoligenes.     

Phylogeny of species in the family Neisseriaceae isolated from human dental plaque and description of Kingella oralis sp. nov [corrected

Fourteen human periodontal isolates recovered from a purported Eikenella corrodens-selective medium containing 1 microgram of clindamycin per ml displayed biochemical traits which differed from those described for E. corrodens. These organisms were gram-negative rods which corroded agar. The isolates were oxidase positive and urease, indole, and esculin negative. They differed from E. corrodens in catalase, nitrate reduction, lysine decarboxylase, and ornithine decarboxylase activities. One isolate, strain UB-294, was presumptively identified as Kingella denitrificans. A second isolate, strain UB-204, differed from E. corrodens by being catalase positive and nitrate reduction negative. Twelve isolates, including strain UB-38T (T = type strain), were phenotypically similar to Kingella kingae except that they did not produce acid from maltose and were not beta-hemolytic. Essentially complete (1,480-base) 16S rRNA sequences were determined for strains UB-38T, UB-204, and UB-294 and the type strains of Neisseria animalis, Neisseria canis, Neisseria denitrificans, Neisseria elongata, Neisseria flavescens, Neisseria macaca, and Neisseria polysaccharea. These sequences were compared with the previously published sequences of six other species belonging to the family Neisseriaceae. On the basis of the results of the comparative sequence analysis, UB-294 was confirmed as a K. denitrificans strain, UB-204 was identified as a member of a new species which may belong in the genus Eikenella, and UB-38T was identified as a member of a new species of the genus Kingella, for which we propose the name Kingella oralis [corrected]. Since strain UB-204 was the only representative of a new species, it was not named.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Stetteria hydrogenophila, gen. nov. and sp. nov., a novel mixotrophic sulfur-dependent crenarchaeote isolated from Milos, Greece

To test the therapeutic efficacy of levamisole, 5-week-old DBA/2 mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with 10 plaque-forming units of encephalo-myocarditis virus. Levamisole (2.5 mg/kg/per day) was administered intraperitoneally daily, starting simultaneously with the virus inoculation, in experiment I for 14 days, and daily on days 14 to 28 in experiment II in mice that survived to 14 days after virus inoculation. In experiment I, survival was higher, the severity of myocarditis was less, and myocardial virus titers were lower in treated than in untreated animals. In experiment II, levamisole was not effective. No significant changes in serum neutralizing antibody titers occurred in either experiment. Furthermore, levamisole prevented associated lymphoid organ atrophy induced by the virus infection. An additional in vitro study revealed the absence of anti-viral activity of the drug. Thus, levamisole may have favorable effects upon encephalomyocarditis virus myocarditis by preventing the virus-induced lymphoid organ atrophy and reducing myocardial virus replication in the acute stage.     

Clostridium thermoalcaliphilum sp. nov., an anaerobic and thermotolerant facultative alkaliphile

The structure of the capsular polysaccharide from Klebsiella type K38 has been reinvestigated. It is composed of pentasaccharide repeating units of the structure given below. In this structure, Sug stands for a 4-deoxy-threo-hex-4-enopyranosyluronic acid group, most probably having the beta-L configuration. 1H NMR studies further indicate that this group assumes the 1H2 conformation. [formula: see text]     

Massilia timonae gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from blood of an immunocompromised patient with cerebellar lesions

A fastidious, slowly growing, strictly aerobic, gram-negative bacterium was isolated from a culture of blood from a 25-year-old man with common variable immunodeficiency. The man had been admitted to hospital with febrile progressive cerebellar ataxia. The use of standard phenotypic schemes did not lead to identification, but sequence analysis demonstrated that the 16S rRNA gene of the isolate was most similar to those of the environmental bacteria Duganella zoogloeoides (formerly Zoogloea ramigera 115) and Telluria mixta. Further characterization of the bacterium by biochemical analysis, electron microscopy, G+C content estimation, and fatty acid analysis demonstrated significant differences between the bacterium and D. zoogloeoides and Telluria species; thus, we propose it as a new taxon with the name Massilia timonae gen. nov., sp. nov.     

Sumixam maximus gen.and sp.nov.,a New Pennsylvanian Species of Archaeorthoptera(Neoptera;Indiana,USA)

A new Mazon-Creek-type fossil specimen is described as Sumixam maximus gen. and sp. nov.,fossil relatives): it exhibits one of the diagnostic character states of this taxon, which is the fusion of CuA (emerging from M + CuA) with CuP, or a branch of it. A more precise taxonomic assignment is out of reach. The new taxon exhibits a fusion of the anterior branch of MA with RP, and a point of divergence of MA and MP located near the point of divergence of CuA (from M + CuA), but lack a branching of CuPa. This unique combination of character states is probably derived with respect to a number of contemporaneous species. Sumixam maximus gen. and sp. nov. is most likely the closest known relative of the panorthopterans, which include all the recent Archaeorthoptera.