Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1988 Apr;26(4):686–691. doi: 10.1128/jcm.26.4.686-691.1988

In vitro method to differentiate isolates of type III Streptococcus agalactiae from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.

J J Maurer 1, S J Mattingly 1
PMCID: PMC266412  PMID: 3284898

Abstract

Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococci) isolates from infected infants have been demonstrated to have three- to fourfold or higher levels of cell-associated lipoteichoic acid than isolates from asymptomatically colonized infants, suggesting a role for this cell surface polymer in the relative virulence of these organisms. The present study indicates that symptomatic isolates of type III group B streptococci can be readily differentiated from asymptomatic strains by their response to various levels of phosphate in a chemically defined medium (FMC). Both classes of isolates had the same doubling time (TD of 30 to 35 min) in FMC containing 65 mM sodium phosphate. However, levels of phosphate greater than 125 mM distinguished the two classes of strains. Asymptomatic strains pregrown in 65 mM phosphate to the stationary phase rapidly initiated growth at elevated phosphate levels, while symptomatic strains initiated growth only after a prolonged incubation period (greater than 400 min). These results suggest that the physiological growth response of clinical isolates of group B streptococci to phosphate can serve as a diagnostic aid in screening potentially virulent strains in pregnant women and newborn infants.

Full text

PDF
686

Selected References

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

  1. AMINOFF D. Methods for the quantitative estimation of N-acetylneuraminic acid and their application to hydrolysates of sialomucoids. Biochem J. 1961 Nov;81:384–392. doi: 10.1042/bj0810384. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Boyer K. M., Gotoff S. P. Prevention of early-onset neonatal group B streptococcal disease with selective intrapartum chemoprophylaxis. N Engl J Med. 1986 Jun 26;314(26):1665–1669. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198606263142603. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Brautigan V. M., Childs W. C., 3rd, Neuhaus F. C. Biosynthesis of D-alanyl-lipoteichoic acid in Lactobacillus casei: D-alanyl-lipophilic compounds as intermediates. J Bacteriol. 1981 Apr;146(1):239–250. doi: 10.1128/jb.146.1.239-250.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Durham D. L., Mattingly S. J., Doran T. I., Milligan T. W., Straus D. C. Correlation between the production of extracellular substances by type III group B streptococcal strains and virulence in a mouse model. Infect Immun. 1981 Nov;34(2):448–454. doi: 10.1128/iai.34.2.448-454.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Lancefield R. C., McCarty M., Everly W. N. Multiple mouse-protective antibodies directed against group B streptococci. Special reference to antibodies effective against protein antigens. J Exp Med. 1975 Jul 1;142(1):165–179. doi: 10.1084/jem.142.1.165. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Larsson C., Gustafsson L. Glycerol production in relation to the ATP pool and heat production rate of the yeasts Debaryomyces hansenii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae during salt stress. Arch Microbiol. 1987 May;147(4):358–363. doi: 10.1007/BF00406133. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Mattingly S. J., Johnston B. P. Comparative analysis of the localization of lipoteichoic acid in Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus pyogenes. Infect Immun. 1987 Oct;55(10):2383–2386. doi: 10.1128/iai.55.10.2383-2386.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Milligan T. W., Baker C. J., Straus D. C., Mattingly S. J. Association of elevated levels of extracellular neuraminidase with clinical isolates of type III group B streptococci. Infect Immun. 1978 Sep;21(3):738–746. doi: 10.1128/iai.21.3.738-746.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Milligan T. W., Doran T. I., Straus D. C., Mattingly S. J. Growth and amino acid requirements of various strains of group B streptococci. J Clin Microbiol. 1978 Jan;7(1):28–33. doi: 10.1128/jcm.7.1.28-33.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Nealon T. J., Mattingly S. J. Association of elevated levels of cellular lipoteichoic acids of group B streptococci with human neonatal disease. Infect Immun. 1983 Mar;39(3):1243–1251. doi: 10.1128/iai.39.3.1243-1251.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Nealon T. J., Mattingly S. J. Kinetic and chemical analyses of the biologic significance of lipoteichoic acids in mediating adherence of serotype III group B streptococci. Infect Immun. 1985 Oct;50(1):107–115. doi: 10.1128/iai.50.1.107-115.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Nealon T. J., Mattingly S. J. Role of cellular lipoteichoic acids in mediating adherence of serotype III strains of group B streptococci to human embryonic, fetal, and adult epithelial cells. Infect Immun. 1984 Feb;43(2):523–530. doi: 10.1128/iai.43.2.523-530.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Terleckyj B., Willett N. P., Shockman G. D. Growth of several cariogenic strains of oral streptococci in a chemically defined medium. Infect Immun. 1975 Apr;11(4):649–655. doi: 10.1128/iai.11.4.649-655.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Yeung M. K., Mattingly S. J. Biosynthetic capacity for type-specific antigen synthesis determines the virulence of serotype III strains of group B streptococci. Infect Immun. 1984 May;44(2):217–221. doi: 10.1128/iai.44.2.217-221.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES