Review

Authors: Eija Könönen, William G Wade

Actinomyces israelii has long been recognized as a causative agent of actinomycosis. During the past 3 decades, a large number of novel Actinomyces species have been described. Their detection and identification in clinical microbiology laboratories and recognition as pathogens in clinical settings can be challenging. With the introduction of advanced molecular methods, knowledge about their clinical relevance is gradually increasing, and the spectrum of diseases associated with Actinomyces and Actinomyces-like organisms is widening accordingly; for example, Actinomyces meyeri, Actinomyces neuii, and Actinomyces turicensis as well as Actinotignum (formerly Actinobaculum) schaalii are emerging as important causes of specific infections at various body sites. In the present review, we have gathered this information to provide a comprehensive and microbiologically consistent overview of the significance of Actinomyces and some closely related taxa in human infections.

Topics: Actinomyces; Actinomycosis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Classification; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests

PubMed: 25788515
DOI: 10.1128/CMR.00100-14

Authors: Leonardo Chanqueo, Pedro Morales

Topics: Actinomycetaceae; Drug Resistance, Microbial

PubMed: 31859756
DOI: 10.4067/S0716-10182019000300369

Authors: Kelei Zhao, Wujiao Li, Chunlan Kang...

The family Actinomycetaceae comprises several important pathogens that impose serious threat to human health and cause substantial infections of economically important animals. However, the phylogeny and evolutionary dynamic of this family are poorly characterized. Here, we provide detailed description of the genome characteristics of Trueperella pyogenes, a prevalent opportunistic bacterium that belongs to the family Actinomycetaceae, and the results of comparative genomics analyses suggested that T. pyogenes was a more versatile pathogen than Arcanobacterium haemolyticum in adapting various environments. We then performed phylogenetic analyses at the genomic level and showed that, on the whole, the established members of the family Actinomycetaceae were clearly separated with high bootstrap values but confused with the dominant genus Actinomyces, because the species of genus Actinomyces were divided into three main groups with different G+C content. Although T. pyogenes and A. haemolyticum were found to share the same branch as previously determined, our results of single nucleotide polymorphism tree and genome clustering as well as predicted intercellular metabolic analyses provide evidence that they are phylogenetic neighbors. Finally, we found that the gene gain/loss events occurring in each species may play an important role during the evolution of Actinomycetaceae from free-living to a specific lifestyle.

Topics: Actinomycetaceae; Biological Evolution; Phylogeny

PubMed: 25245410
DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evu211

Authors: Gavin H Thomas

Topics: Actinomyces; Biofilms; Extracellular Vesicles; Humans; Lipoproteins; Microbiology; Periodicals as Topic; Quorum Sensing

PubMed: 32854815
DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000969

Authors: Keith A Breau

Topics: Humans; Actinomyces; Actinomycetaceae; Colorectal Neoplasms

PubMed: 38403274
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2024.02.009

Authors: María A Martínez, Alfredo Ovalle

Topics: Actinomyces

PubMed: 22052401
DOI: No ID Found

Review

Authors: Zijun Xiong, Rong Wang, Tengfei Xia...

Marine natural products have been recognized as the most promising source of bioactive substances for drug discovery research. This review illustrates the diversity of culturable actinobacteria associated with marine algae, their bioactivity and metabolites, and approaches to their isolation and determination of their biological properties. Furthermore, actinobacteria associated with marine algae are presented as a new subject for an extensive investigation to find novel and active natural products, which make them a potentially rich and innovative source for new drug development deserving more attention and exploration.

Topics: Actinobacteria; Actinomyces; Biological Products; Drug Discovery; Bacteria

PubMed: 37446800
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28135138

Review

Authors: Magdalena Rzewuska, Ewelina Kwiecień, Dorota Chrobak-Chmiel...

Bacteria from the species are a part of the biota of skin and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory, gastrointestinal, or urogenital tracts of animals, but also, opportunistic pathogens. causes a variety of purulent infections, such as metritis, mastitis, pneumonia, and abscesses, which, in livestock breeding, generate significant economic losses. Although this species has been known for a long time, many questions concerning the mechanisms of infection pathogenesis, as well as reservoirs and routes of transmission of bacteria, remain poorly understood. Pyolysin is a major known virulence factor of that belongs to the family of cholesterol-dependent cytolysins. Its cytolytic activity is associated with transmembrane pore formation. Other putative virulence factors, including neuraminidases, extracellular matrix-binding proteins, fimbriae, and biofilm formation ability, contribute to the adhesion and colonization of the host tissues. However, data about the pathogen-host interactions that may be involved in the development of infection are still limited. The aim of this review is to present the current knowledge about the pathogenic potential and virulence of .

Topics: Actinomycetaceae; Animals; Bacterial Toxins; Disease Reservoirs; Genome, Bacterial; Genomics; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Phylogeny; Protein Binding; Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Structure-Activity Relationship; Virulence; Virulence Factors

PubMed: 31167367
DOI: 10.3390/ijms20112737

Authors: Richard Kwizera, Felix Bongomin, David B Meya...

Mycetoma is considered a neglected tropical disease globally. However, data on its burden and the associated complications in Uganda are limited. Hence we aimed to estimate its burden in Uganda. Firstly, a systematic PubMed search for all studies of any design on mycetoma in Uganda without restriction to the year of publication was conducted. A retrospective review of all the biopsy reports at the Pathology Reference Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda from January 1950 to September 2019 was conducted to identify any reports on mycetoma histological diagnosis. During the 70-years study period, 30 cases were identified by the literature review, with 249 additional cases identified by review of biopsy reports (total of 279 cases). The average incidence was estimated at 0.32/100,000 persons and prevalence of 8.32/100,000 persons per decade. However, there was a general decline in the number of cases detected recently. Males and the age group of 21-30 years were the most affected by mycetoma in Uganda, and only 7% of the cases were children. The highest number of cases was recorded from Kampala (n = 30) and Jinja (n = 19) districts. The majority of the cases (68%) were referred from surgical units. The foot was the most affected part of the body (72%). Ten per cent of the cases had bone involvement of which 58% required amputation. Fungi were the most common causative agents (89%) followed by Nocardia species (5%) and Actinomycetes (4%). The index of clinical suspicion of mycetoma was low (45%) with a very large differential diagnosis. Mycetoma is a relatively rare disease in Uganda, mostly caused by fungi, and there is a big gap in data and epidemiological studies. More systematic studies are warranted to define the true burden of mycetoma in Uganda.

Topics: Actinomycetaceae; Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Child; Child, Preschool; Cost of Illness; Female; Fungi; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Middle Aged; Mycetoma; Neglected Diseases; Nocardia; Prevalence; Sex Factors; Tropical Climate; Uganda; Young Adult

PubMed: 32348300
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008240

Review

Authors: Agustina Undabarrena, Camila F Pereira, Worarat Kruasuwan...

Last year ActinoBase, a Wiki-style initiative supported by the UK Microbiology Society, published a review highlighting the research of particular interest to the actinomycete community. Here, we present the second ActinoBase review showcasing selected reports published in 2020 and early 2021, integrating perspectives in the actinomycete field. Actinomycetes are well-known for their unsurpassed ability to produce specialised metabolites, of which many are used as therapeutic agents with antibacterial, antifungal, or immunosuppressive activities. Much research is carried out to understand the purpose of these metabolites in the environment, either within communities or in host interactions. Moreover, many efforts have been placed in developing computational tools to handle big data, simplify experimental design, and find new biosynthetic gene cluster prioritisation strategies. Alongside, synthetic biology has provided advances in tools to elucidate the biosynthesis of these metabolites. Additionally, there are still mysteries to be uncovered in understanding the fundamentals of filamentous actinomycetes' developmental cycle and regulation of their metabolism. This review focuses on research using integrative methodologies and approaches to understand the bigger picture of actinomycete biology, covering four research areas: ) technology and methodology; ) specialised metabolites; ) development and regulation; and ) ecology and host interactions.

Topics: Actinobacteria; Actinomyces; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Multigene Family; Synthetic Biology

PubMed: 34515628
DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001084