Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1992 Mar;30(3):649–654. doi: 10.1128/jcm.30.3.649-654.1992

Rapid presumptive identification and further characterization of Bacteroides forsythus.

P H Braham 1, B J Moncla 1
PMCID: PMC265126  PMID: 1551981

Abstract

Bacteroides forsythus is a fastidious anaerobic gram-negative organism associated with various forms of periodontal disease. It is dependent on N-acetylmuramic acid for growth. A method for rapid presumptive identification of human-derived strains of B. forsythus is presented, based on the following eight criteria: (i) positive activity for alpha-glucosidase, (ii) positive activity for beta-glucosidase, (iii) positive activity for sialidase, (iv) positive activity for trypsinlike enzyme, (v) negative indole production, (vi) requirement for N-acetylmuramic acid, (vii) colonial morphology, and (viii) gram stain morphology from blood agar medium deficient in N-acetylmuramic acid. Enzymes were assayed with rapid filter paper spot tests based on fluorogenic substrates (4-methylumbelliferone derivatives and N alpha-carbobenzoxy-L-arginine-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin hydrochloride). Gas-liquid chromatography analysis of the metabolic products of B. forsythus grown in peptone yeast extract broth supplemented with N-acetylmuramic acid and heat-inactivated horse serum revealed predominant amounts of acetate, propionate, butyrate, isovalerate, and phenyl acetate, with minor amounts of isobutyrate and succinate. The described presumptive identification scheme facilitated recognition of four strains of B. forsythus which were isolated from subgingival plaque samples from monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). With the exception of indole production, these organisms were essentially identical to the human strains of B. forsythus for all phenotypic and genotypic characteristics examined.

Full text

PDF
649

Images in this article

652Image
on p.652

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Dzink J. L., Socransky S. S., Haffajee A. D. The predominant cultivable microbiota of active and inactive lesions of destructive periodontal diseases. J Clin Periodontol. 1988 May;15(5):316–323. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-051x.1988.tb01590.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dzink J. L., Tanner A. C., Haffajee A. D., Socransky S. S. Gram negative species associated with active destructive periodontal lesions. J Clin Periodontol. 1985 Sep;12(8):648–659. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-051x.1985.tb00936.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Gmür R., Strub J. R., Guggenheim B. Prevalence of Bacteroides forsythus and Bacteroides gingivalis in subgingival plaque of prosthodontically treated patients on short recall. J Periodontal Res. 1989 Mar;24(2):113–120. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0765.1989.tb00865.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hill G. B., Ayers O. M., Kohan A. P. Characteristics and sites of infection of Eubacterium nodatum, Eubacterium timidum, Eubacterium brachy, and other asaccharolytic eubacteria. J Clin Microbiol. 1987 Aug;25(8):1540–1545. doi: 10.1128/jcm.25.8.1540-1545.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Holt S. C., Bramanti T. E. Factors in virulence expression and their role in periodontal disease pathogenesis. Crit Rev Oral Biol Med. 1991;2(2):177–281. doi: 10.1177/10454411910020020301. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Lai C. H., Listgarten M. A., Shirakawa M., Slots J. Bacteroides forsythus in adult gingivitis and periodontitis. Oral Microbiol Immunol. 1987 Dec;2(4):152–157. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-302x.1987.tb00299.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Laughon B. E., Syed S. A., Loesche W. J. Rapid identification of Bacteroides gingivalis. J Clin Microbiol. 1982 Feb;15(2):345–346. doi: 10.1128/jcm.15.2.345-346.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lev M., Milford A. F. Sensitivity of a Bacteroides melaninogenicus strain to monosaccharides: effect on enzyme induction. J Bacteriol. 1975 Jan;121(1):152–159. doi: 10.1128/jb.121.1.152-159.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Loesche W. J., Bretz W. A., Kerschensteiner D., Stoll J., Socransky S. S., Hujoel P., Lopatin D. E. Development of a diagnostic test for anaerobic periodontal infections based on plaque hydrolysis of benzoyl-DL-arginine-naphthylamide. J Clin Microbiol. 1990 Jul;28(7):1551–1559. doi: 10.1128/jcm.28.7.1551-1559.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mayrand D., Bourgeau G. Production of phenylacetic acid by anaerobes. J Clin Microbiol. 1982 Oct;16(4):747–750. doi: 10.1128/jcm.16.4.747-750.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Moncla B. J., Braham P., Hillier S. L. Sialidase (neuraminidase) activity among gram-negative anaerobic and capnophilic bacteria. J Clin Microbiol. 1990 Mar;28(3):422–425. doi: 10.1128/jcm.28.3.422-425.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Moncla B. J., Braham P., Rabe L. K., Hillier S. L. Rapid presumptive identification of black-pigmented gram-negative anaerobic bacteria by using 4-methylumbelliferone derivatives. J Clin Microbiol. 1991 Sep;29(9):1955–1958. doi: 10.1128/jcm.29.9.1955-1958.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Moncla B. J., Motley S. T., Braham P., Ewing L., Adams T. H., Vermeulen N. M. Use of synthetic oligonucleotide DNA probes for identification and direct detection of Bacteroides forsythus in plaque samples. J Clin Microbiol. 1991 Oct;29(10):2158–2162. doi: 10.1128/jcm.29.10.2158-2162.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Moncla B. J., Strockbine L., Braham P., Karlinsey J., Roberts M. C. The use of whole-cell DNA probes for the identification of Bacteroides intermedius isolates in a dot blot assay. J Dent Res. 1988 Oct;67(10):1267–1270. doi: 10.1177/00220345880670100401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Moore W. E., Holdeman L. V., Smibert R. M., Hash D. E., Burmeister J. A., Ranney R. R. Bacteriology of severe periodontitis in young adult humans. Infect Immun. 1982 Dec;38(3):1137–1148. doi: 10.1128/iai.38.3.1137-1148.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Moore W. E. Microbiology of periodontal disease. J Periodontal Res. 1987 Sep;22(5):335–341. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0765.1987.tb01595.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Singer R. E., Buckner B. A. Butyrate and propionate: important components of toxic dental plaque extracts. Infect Immun. 1981 May;32(2):458–463. doi: 10.1128/iai.32.2.458-463.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Slots J. Detection of colonies of Bacteroides gingivalis by a rapid fluorescence assay for trypsin-like activity. Oral Microbiol Immunol. 1987 Sep;2(3):139–141. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-302x.1987.tb00279.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Slots J. Enzymatic characterization of some oral and nonoral gram-negative bacteria with the API ZYM system. J Clin Microbiol. 1981 Sep;14(3):288–294. doi: 10.1128/jcm.14.3.288-294.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sutter V. L., Carter W. T. Evaluation of media and reagents for indole-spot tests in anaerobic bacteriology. Am J Clin Pathol. 1972 Sep;58(3):335–338. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/58.3.335. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Tanner A. C., Haffer C., Bratthall G. T., Visconti R. A., Socransky S. S. A study of the bacteria associated with advancing periodontitis in man. J Clin Periodontol. 1979 Oct;6(5):278–307. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-051x.1979.tb01931.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Tanner A. C., Socransky S. S., Goodson J. M. Microbiota of periodontal pockets losing crestal alveolar bone. J Periodontal Res. 1984 May;19(3):279–291. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0765.1984.tb00819.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Tanner A. C., Strzempko M. N., Belsky C. A., McKinley G. A. API ZYM and API An-Ident reactions of fastidious oral gram-negative species. J Clin Microbiol. 1985 Sep;22(3):333–335. doi: 10.1128/jcm.22.3.333-335.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Tanner A., Bouldin H. The microbiota of early periodontitis lesions in adults. J Clin Periodontol. 1989 Aug;16(7):467–471. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-051x.1989.tb01676.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Touw J. J., van Steenbergen T. J., De Graaff J. Butyrate: a cytotoxin for Vero cells produced by Bacteroides gingivalis and Bacteroides asaccharolyticus. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1982;48(4):315–325. doi: 10.1007/BF00418285. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Wyss C. Dependence of proliferation of Bacteroides forsythus on exogenous N-acetylmuramic acid. Infect Immun. 1989 Jun;57(6):1757–1759. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.6.1757-1759.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES