Authors: Daniel Jaén-Luchoro, Lucia Gonzales-Siles, Roger Karlsson...

Clinical and environmental-associated strains (n=17), genotypically related to Corynebacterium spp., yet distinct from any species of the genus Corynebacterium with validly published names, have been isolated during the last 20 years and tentatively identified as Corynebacterium sanguinis, although the combination, "Corynebacterium sanguinis" was never validly published. The comprehensive genotypic and phenotypic characterisations and genomic analyses in this study support the proposal for recognizing the species within the genus Corynebacterium, for which the name, Corynebacterium sanguinis sp. nov., is reaffirmed and proposed. Strains of Corynebacterium sanguinis are Gram-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming, short, pleomorphic and coryneform bacilli, growing aerobically, with CO. They contain mycolic acids, major respiratory menaquinones, MK-8 (II-H) and MK-9 (II-H), and polar lipids, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphoglycolipid, glycolipids and a novel lipid that remains to be characterized and identified. Strains of Corynebacterium sanguinis are genotypically most similar to Corynebacterium lipophiliflavum, with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 98.3% and rpoB sequence similarities of 94.9-95.2%. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis were able to clearly differentiate Corynebacterium sanguinis from the most closely related species. The genome size of Corynebacterium sanguinis is 2.28-2.37Mbp with 65.1-65.5mol% G+C content. A total of 2202-2318 ORFs were predicted, comprising 2141-2251 protein-encoding genes. The type strain is CCUG 58655 (=CCM 8873=NCTC 14287).

Topics: Bacterial Proteins; Base Composition; Corynebacterium; Corynebacterium Infections; DNA, Bacterial; Environmental Microbiology; Fatty Acids; Genome Size; Genome, Bacterial; Glycolipids; Humans; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Phospholipids; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Species Specificity; Vitamin K 2

PubMed: 31776051
DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2019.126039

Review

Authors: Marta Prygiel, Ewa Mosiej, Maciej Polak...

Diphtheria toxin (DT) is the main virulence factor of and Moreover, new species with the potential to produce diphtheria toxin have also been described. Therefore, the detection of the toxin is the most important test in the microbiological diagnosis of diphtheria and other corynebacteria infections. Since the first demonstration in 1888 that DT is a major virulence factor of , responsible for the systemic manifestation of the disease, various methods for DT detection have been developed, but the diagnostic usefulness of most of them has not been confirmed on a sufficiently large group of samples. Despite substantial progress in the science and diagnostics of infectious diseases, the Elek test is still the basic recommended diagnostic test for DT detection. The challenge here is the poor availability of an antitoxin and declining experience even in reference laboratories due to the low prevalence of diphtheria in developed countries. However, recent and very promising assays have been developed with the potential for use as rapid point-of-care testing (POCT), such as ICS and LFIA for toxin detection, LAMP for gene detection, and biosensors for both.

Topics: Diphtheria Toxin; Humans; Diphtheria; Corynebacterium; Corynebacterium diphtheriae

PubMed: 38922140
DOI: 10.3390/toxins16060245

Review

Authors: Andreas Tauch, Isabel Fernández-Natal, Francisco Soriano...

The genus Corynebacterium represents a taxon of Gram-positive bacteria with a high G+C content in the genomic DNA. Corynebacterium kroppenstedtii is an unusual member of this taxon as it lacks the characteristic mycolic acids in the cell envelope. Genome sequence analysis of the C. kroppenstedtii type strain has revealed a lipophilic (lipid-requiring) lifestyle and a remarkable repertoire of carbohydrate uptake and utilization systems. Clinical isolates of C. kroppenstedtii have been obtained almost exclusively from female patients and mainly from breast abscesses and cases of granulomatous mastitis. However, the role of C. kroppenstedtii in breast pathologies remains unclear. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the taxonomy, microbiology, and microbiological identification of C. kroppenstedtii, including polyphasic phenotypic approaches, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the use of 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A clinical review presents reported cases, various antimicrobial treatments, antibiotic susceptibility assays, and antibiotic resistance genes detected during genome sequencing. C. kroppenstedtii must be considered a potential opportunistic human pathogen and should be identified accurately in clinical laboratories.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Breast; Corynebacterium; Corynebacterium Infections; Female; Humans

PubMed: 27155209
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2016.04.023

Review

Authors: Lisa Ott, Jens Möller, Andreas Burkovski...

, the etiological agent of diphtheria, is a re-emerging pathogen, responsible for several thousand deaths per year. In addition to diphtheria, systemic infections, often by non-toxigenic strains, are increasingly observed. This indicates that besides the well-studied and highly potent diphtheria toxin, various other virulence factors may influence the progression of the infection. This review focuses on the known components of responsible for adhesion, invasion, inflammation, and cell death, as well as on the cellular signaling pathways activated upon infection.

Topics: Corynebacterium; Corynebacterium diphtheriae; Diphtheria; Diphtheria Toxin; Humans; Virulence Factors

PubMed: 35328715
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063298

Authors: Lorena Porte, Thomas Weitzel

Topics: Corynebacterium

PubMed: 23412035
DOI: 10.4067/S0716-10182012000700011

Review

Authors: L Barksdale

Topics: Antigens; Bacterial Proteins; Bacteriophage Typing; Cell Nucleus; Cell Wall; Corynebacterium; Corynebacterium diphtheriae; Diphtheria Toxin; Glycolipids; Inclusion Bodies; Lipids; Microscopy, Electron; Mycobacterium; Nocardia; Species Specificity; Starch; Tellurium

PubMed: 4322195
DOI: 10.1128/br.34.4.378-422.1970

Review

Authors: Andreas Burkovski

Nitrogen is an essential component of nearly all complex macromolecules in a bacterial cell, such as proteins, nucleic acids and cell wall components. Accordingly, most prokaryotes have developed elaborate control mechanisms to provide an optimal supply of nitrogen for cellular metabolism and to cope with situations of nitrogen limitation. In this review, recent advances in our knowledge of ammonium uptake, its assimilation, and related regulatory systems in Corynebacterium glutamicum, a Gram-positive soil bacterium used for the industrial production of amino acids, are summarized and discussed with respect to the situation in the bacterial model organisms, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, and in comparison to the situation in other actinomycetes, namely in mycobacteria and streptomycetes. The regulatory network of nitrogen control in C. glutamicum seems to be a patchwork of different elements. It includes proteins similar to the UTase/GlnK pathway of E. coli and expression regulation by a repressor protein as in B. subtilis, but it lacks an NtrB/NtrC two-component signal transduction system. Furthermore, the C. glutamicum regulation network has unique features, such as a new sensing mechanism. Based on its extremely well-investigated central metabolism, well-established molecular biology tools, a public genome sequence and a newly-established proteome project, C. glutamicum seems to be a suitable model organism for other corynebacteria, such as Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Corynebacterium efficiens.

Topics: Corynebacterium; Nitrogen; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds

PubMed: 14638415
DOI: 10.1016/S0168-6445(03)00067-6

Authors: Maria Naqvi, Tor P Utheim, Colin Charnock...

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to characterize Corynebacterium isolated from the ocular surface of dry eye disease patients and healthy controls. We aimed to investigate the pathogenic potential of these isolates in relation to ocular surface health. To this end, we performed whole genome sequencing in combination with biochemical, enzymatic, and antibiotic susceptibility tests. In addition, we employed deferred growth inhibition assays to examine how Corynebacterium isolates may impact the growth of potentially competing microorganisms including the ocular pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as other Corynebacterium present on the eye.

RESULTS

The 23 isolates were found to belong to 8 different species of Corynebacterium with genomes ranging from 2.12 mega base pairs in a novel Corynebacterium sp. to 2.65 mega base pairs in C. bovis. Whole genome sequencing revealed the presence of a range of antimicrobial targets present in all isolates. Pangenome analysis showed the presence of 516 core genes and that the pangenome is open. Phenotypic characterization showed variously urease, lipase, mucinase, protease and DNase activity in some isolates. Attention was particularly drawn to a potentially new or novel Corynebacterium species which had the smallest genome, and which produced a range of hydrolytic enzymes. Strikingly the isolate inhibited in vitro the growth of a range of possible pathogenic bacteria as well as other Corynebacterium isolates. The majority of Corynebacterium species included in this study did not seem to possess canonical pathogenic activity.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first reported genomic and biochemical characterization of ocular Corynebacterium. A number of potential virulence factors were identified which may have direct relevance for ocular health and contribute to the finding of our previous report on the ocular microbiome, where it was shown that DNA libraries were often dominated by members of this genus. Particularly interesting in this regard was the observation that some Corynebacterium, particularly new or novel Corynebacterium sp. can inhibit the growth of other ocular Corynebacterium as well as known pathogens of the eye.

Topics: Corynebacterium; Whole Genome Sequencing; Humans; Genome, Bacterial; Dry Eye Syndromes; Corynebacterium Infections; Phylogeny; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Eye; Female

PubMed: 39342108
DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03517-9

Authors: M H Swaney, N Henriquez, T Campbell...

UNLABELLED

The underlying interactions that occur to maintain skin microbiome composition, function, and overall skin health are largely unknown. Often, these types of interactions are mediated by microbial metabolites. Cobamides, the vitamin B family of cofactors, are essential for metabolism in many bacteria but are only synthesized by a fraction of prokaryotes, including certain skin-associated species. Therefore, we hypothesize that cobamide sharing mediates skin community dynamics. Preliminary work predicts that several skin-associated species encode cobamide biosynthesis and that their abundance is associated with skin microbiome diversity. Here, we show that commensal produces cobamides and that this synthesis can be tuned by cobalt limitation. To demonstrate cobamide sharing by , we employed a co-culture assay using an cobamide auxotroph and showed that produces sufficient cobamides to support growth, both in liquid co-culture and when separated spatially on solid medium. We also generated a non-cobamide-producing strain (cob) using UV mutagenesis that contains mutated cobamide biosynthesis genes (precorrin-6X reductase) and (corrinoid adenosyltransferase) and confirm that disruption of cobamide biosynthesis abolishes the support of growth through cobamide sharing. Our study provides a unique model to study metabolite sharing by microorganisms, which will be critical for understanding the fundamental interactions that occur within complex microbiomes and for developing approaches to target the human microbiota for health advances.

IMPORTANCE

The human skin serves as a crucial barrier for the body and hosts a diverse community of microbes known as the skin microbiome. The interactions that occur to maintain a healthy skin microbiome are largely unknown but are thought to be driven in part, by nutrient sharing between species in close association. Here we show that the skin-associated bacteria produces and shares cobalamin, a cofactor essential for survival in organisms across all domains of life. This study provides a unique model to study metabolite sharing by skin microorganisms, which will be critical for understanding the fundamental interactions that occur within the skin microbiome and for developing therapeutic approaches aiming to engineer and manipulate the skin microbiota.

Topics: Corynebacterium; Cobamides; Humans; Skin; Escherichia coli; Microbiota; Coculture Techniques

PubMed: 39692507
DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00606-24

Review

Authors: Kathryn Bernard

Catalase-positive Gram-positive bacilli, commonly called "diphtheroids" or "coryneform" bacteria were historically nearly always dismissed as contaminants when recovered from patients, but increasingly have been implicated as the cause of significant infections. These taxa have been underreported, and the taxa were taxonomically confusing. The mechanisms of pathogenesis, especially for newly described taxa, were rarely studied. Antibiotic susceptibility data were relatively scant. In this minireview, clinical relevance, phenotypic and genetic identification methods, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) evaluations, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing involving species in the genus Corynebacterium and other medically relevant Gram-positive rods, collectively called coryneforms, are described.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Catalase; Corynebacterium; Corynebacterium Infections; Genotype; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; Phenotype; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

PubMed: 22837327
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00796-12