Skip to main content
Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1982 Apr;15(4):646–653. doi: 10.1128/jcm.15.4.646-653.1982

Serological and genotypic diversity among serogroup 5- reacting environmental Legionella isolates.

G M Garrity, E M Elder, B Davis, R M Vickers, A Brown
PMCID: PMC272161  PMID: 6175657

Abstract

Five strains of bacteria (strains 684, 687, U7W, U8W, and MICU-B) that were biochemically and morphologically indistinguishable from Legionella pneumophila were recovered from the environment. Strains U7W, U8W, and MICU-B were antigenically identical to L. pneumophila strain Dallas 1E (serogroup 5), as determined by direct fluorescent antibody staining and immunodiffusion. Although strains 694 and 687 shared antigenic determinants with L. pneumophila Dallas 1E, they could be distinguished by immunodiffusion and differential absorption studies. However, as determined by DNA hybridization, the antigenically distinct strains 684 belong to the same DNA homology cluster as previously described authentic strains of L. pneumophila, whereas strain U7W, U8W, and MICU-B belong to a separate homology group. Therefore, two groups could be identified among these environmental isolates; one represents an antigenic subclass of serogroup 5 L. pneumophila (strains 684, and 687), and the other, although antigenically indistinguishable from serogroup 5 L. pneumophila, probably represents a new Legionella species (strains U7W, U8W, and MICU-B).

Full text

PDF
646

Images in this article

Selected References

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

  1. Brenner D. J., Fanning G. R., Johnson K. E., Citarella R. V., Falkow S. Polynucleotide sequence relationships among members of Enterobacteriaceae. J Bacteriol. 1969 May;98(2):637–650. doi: 10.1128/jb.98.2.637-650.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cordes L. G., Fraser D. W., Skaliy P., Perlino C. A., Elsea W. R., Mallison G. F., Hayes P. S. Legionnaires' disease outbreak at an Atlanta, Georgia, Country Club: evidence for spread from an evaporative condenser. Am J Epidemiol. 1980 Apr;111(4):425–431. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112917. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cordes L. G., Wiesenthal A. M., Gorman G. W., Phair J. P., Sommers H. M., Brown A., Yu V. L., Magnussen M. H., Meyer R. D., Wolf J. S. Isolation of Legionella pneumophila from hospital shower heads. Ann Intern Med. 1981 Feb;94(2):195–197. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-94-2-195. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cordes L. G., Wilkinson H. W., Gorman G. W., Fikes B. J., Fraser D. W. Atypical Legionella-like organisms: fastidious water-associated bacteria pathogenic for man. Lancet. 1979 Nov 3;2(8149):927–930. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)92623-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dondero T. J., Jr, Rendtorff R. C., Mallison G. F., Weeks R. M., Levy J. S., Wong E. W., Schaffner W. An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease associated with a contaminated air-conditioning cooling tower. N Engl J Med. 1980 Feb 14;302(7):365–370. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198002143020703. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fliermans C. B., Cherry W. B., Orrison L. H., Smith S. J., Tison D. L., Pope D. H. Ecological distribution of Legionella pneumophila. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 Jan;41(1):9–16. doi: 10.1128/aem.41.1.9-16.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fliermans C. B., Cherry W. B., Orrison L. H., Thacker L. Isolation of Legionella pneumophila from nonepidemic-related aquatic habitats. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1979 Jun;37(6):1239–1242. doi: 10.1128/aem.37.6.1239-1242.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Glick T. H., Gregg M. B., Berman B., Mallison G., Rhodes W. W., Jr, Kassanoff I. Pontiac fever. An epidemic of unknown etiology in a health department: I. Clinical and epidemiologic aspects. Am J Epidemiol. 1978 Feb;107(2):149–160. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112517. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gorman G. W., Yu V. L., Brown A., Hall J. A., Martin W. T., Bibb W. F., Morris G. K., Magnussen M. H., Fraser D. W. Isolation of Pittsburgh pneumonia agent from nebulizers used in respiratory therapy. Ann Intern Med. 1980 Oct;93(4):572–573. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-93-4-572. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hébert G. A. Hippurate hydrolysis by Legionella pneumophila. J Clin Microbiol. 1981 Jan;13(1):240–242. doi: 10.1128/jcm.13.1.240-242.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Isenberg H. D. Microbiology of Legionnaires' disease bacterium. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Apr;90(4):502–505. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-90-4-502. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Morris G. K., Patton C. M., Feeley J. C., Johnson S. E., Gorman G., Martin W. T., Skaliy P., Mallison G. F., Politi B. D., Mackel D. C. Isolation of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium from environmental samples. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Apr;90(4):664–666. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-90-4-664. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Morris G. K., Steigerwalt A., Feeley J. C., Wong E. S., Martin W. T., Patton C. M., Brenner D. J. Legionella gormanii sp. nov. J Clin Microbiol. 1980 Nov;12(5):718–721. doi: 10.1128/jcm.12.5.718-721.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Pasculle A. W., Feeley J. C., Gibson R. J., Cordes L. G., Myerowitz R. L., Patton C. M., Gorman G. W., Carmack C. L., Ezzell J. W., Dowling J. N. Pittsburgh pneumonia agent: direct isolation from human lung tissue. J Infect Dis. 1980 Jun;141(6):727–732. doi: 10.1093/infdis/141.6.727. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Rigby P. W., Dieckmann M., Rhodes C., Berg P. Labeling deoxyribonucleic acid to high specific activity in vitro by nick translation with DNA polymerase I. J Mol Biol. 1977 Jun 15;113(1):237–251. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(77)90052-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Tobin J. O., Bartlett C. L., Waitkins S. A., Barrow G. I., Macrae A. D., Taylor A. G., Fallon R. J., Lynch F. R. Legionnaires' disease: further evidence to implicate water storage and distribution systems as sources. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1981 Feb 14;282(6263):573–573. doi: 10.1136/bmj.282.6263.573. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Tobin J. O., Beare J., Dunnill M. S., Fisher-Hoch S., French M., Mitchell R. G., Morris P. J., Muers M. F. Legionnaires' disease in a transplant unit: isolation of the causative agent from shower baths. Lancet. 1980 Jul 19;2(8186):118–121. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)90005-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Tobin J. O., Swann R. A., Bartlett C. L. Isolation of Legionella pneumophila from water systems: methods and preliminary results. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1981 Feb 14;282(6263):515–517. doi: 10.1136/bmj.282.6263.515. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Vickers R. M., Brown A., Garrity G. M. Dye-containing buffered charcoal-yeast extract medium for differentiation of members of the family Legionellaceae. J Clin Microbiol. 1981 Feb;13(2):380–382. doi: 10.1128/jcm.13.2.380-382.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wong K. H., Schalla W. O., Arko R. J., Bullard J. C., Feeley J. C. Immunochemical, serologic, and immunologic properties of major antigens isolated from the Legionnaires' disease bacterium. Observations bearing on the feasibility of a vaccine. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Apr;90(4):634–638. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-90-4-634. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES