Skip to main content
Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1993 Aug;31(8):2085–2090. doi: 10.1128/jcm.31.8.2085-2090.1993

Comparative chemotaxonomic studies of mycolic acid-free coryneform bacteria of human origin.

C Barreau 1, F Bimet 1, M Kiredjian 1, N Rouillon 1, C Bizet 1
PMCID: PMC265701  PMID: 8370733

Abstract

Forty-two clinical isolates were classified as Corynebacterium minutissimum, Corynebacterium striatum, and Corynebacterium CDC group I by the API Coryne system. The chemotaxonomic characteristics of the isolates were determined by thin-layer chromatographic analysis. Twenty-six isolates were found to have a type IV cell wall (meso-di-aminopimelic acid arabinose, galactose) but did not contain mycolic acids. These 26 isolates shared chemotaxonomic characteristics with those of mycolic acid-free reference strains (including the Corynebacterium amycolatum NCFB 2768 type strain, "Corynebacterium asperum," and coryneform CDC groups I2 and F2). The total protein profiles of the isolates determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were similar to each other and to that of the C. amycolatum type strain. The profiles of the reference strains "Corynebacterium asperum" (CIP 100836, CIP 80.54, CIP 79.37, CIP 52.13), coryneform bacteria CDC groups I2 and F2 (CDC F5771, F5890, G723, G1970), and C. amycolatum were closely related. Thus, the mycolic acid-negative strains with a chemotype IV wall may belong to a single taxon. DNA hybridization studies could confirm this hypothesis. The present study shows the importance of chemotaxonomic analysis for verifying strain identifications and completing results from biochemical tests, particularly for coryneform bacteria.

Full text

PDF

Images in this article

Selected References

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

  1. BLIGH E. G., DYER W. J. A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification. Can J Biochem Physiol. 1959 Aug;37(8):911–917. doi: 10.1139/o59-099. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Costas M. Numerical analysis of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic protein patterns for the classification, identification and typing of medically important bacteria. Electrophoresis. 1990 May;11(5):382–391. doi: 10.1002/elps.1150110507. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DITTMER J. C., LESTER R. L. A SIMPLE, SPECIFIC SPRAY FOR THE DETECTION OF PHOSPHOLIPIDS ON THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAMS. J Lipid Res. 1964 Jan;5:126–127. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. De Briel D., Couderc F., Riegel P., Jehl F., Minck R. High-performance liquid chromatography of corynomycolic acids as a tool in identification of Corynebacterium species and related organisms. J Clin Microbiol. 1992 Jun;30(6):1407–1417. doi: 10.1128/jcm.30.6.1407-1417.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Freney J., Duperron M. T., Courtier C., Hansen W., Allard F., Boeufgras J. M., Monget D., Fleurette J. Evaluation of API Coryne in comparison with conventional methods for identifying coryneform bacteria. J Clin Microbiol. 1991 Jan;29(1):38–41. doi: 10.1128/jcm.29.1.38-41.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. JACIN H., MISHKIN A. R. SEPARATION OF CARBOHYDRATES ON BORATE-IMPREGNATED SILICA GEL G PLATES. J Chromatogr. 1965 Apr;18:170–173. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9673(01)80341-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kersters K., De Ley J. Identification and grouping of bacteria by numerical analysis of their electrophoretic protein patterns. J Gen Microbiol. 1975 Apr;87(2):333–342. doi: 10.1099/00221287-87-2-333. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Laemmli U. K. Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680–685. doi: 10.1038/227680a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lechevalier M. P. Lipids in bacterial taxonomy - a taxonomist's view. CRC Crit Rev Microbiol. 1977;5(2):109–210. doi: 10.3109/10408417709102311. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Minnikin D. E., Alshamaony L., Goodfellow M. Differentiation of Mycobacterium, Nocardia, and related taxa by thin-layer chromatographic analysis of whole-organism methanolysates. J Gen Microbiol. 1975 May;88(1):200–204. doi: 10.1099/00221287-88-1-200. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES