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Systematic and Applied Microbiology Jan 2020Clinical and environmental-associated strains (n=17), genotypically related to Corynebacterium spp., yet distinct from any species of the genus Corynebacterium with...
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 -
International Journal of Infectious... Jul 2016The 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... (Review)
Review
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 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Aug 2023Corynebacterium ulcerans is a closely related bacterium to the diphtheria bacterium C. diphtheriae, and some C. ulcerans strains produce toxins that are similar to... (Review)
Review
Corynebacterium ulcerans is a closely related bacterium to the diphtheria bacterium C. diphtheriae, and some C. ulcerans strains produce toxins that are similar to diphtheria toxin. C. ulcerans is widely distributed in the environment and is considered one of the most harmful pathogens to livestock and wildlife. Infection with C. ulcerans can cause respiratory or nonrespiratory symptoms in patients. Recently, the microorganism has been increasingly recognized as an emerging zoonotic agent of diphtheria-like illness in Japan. To clarify the overall clinical characteristics, treatment-related factors, and outcomes of C. ulcerans infection, we analyzed 34 cases of C. ulcerans that occurred in Japan during 2001-2020. During 2010-2020, the incidence rate of C. ulcerans infection increased markedly, and the overall mortality rate was 5.9%. It is recommended that adults be vaccinated with diphtheria toxoid vaccine to prevent the spread of this infection.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Diphtheria; Japan; Corynebacterium; Corynebacterium Infections; Corynebacterium diphtheriae; Diphtheria Toxin; Diphtheria Toxoid
PubMed: 37486266
DOI: 10.3201/eid2908.220058 -
International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2022, the etiological agent of diphtheria, is a re-emerging pathogen, responsible for several thousand deaths per year. In addition to diphtheria, systemic infections, often... (Review)
Review
, 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 -
Scientific Reports Mar 2021Infectious keratitis is a potentially sight threatening ophthalmological emergency. Contact lens wear is a common risk factor. Diagnostic advances such as MALDI-TOF MS...
Infectious keratitis is a potentially sight threatening ophthalmological emergency. Contact lens wear is a common risk factor. Diagnostic advances such as MALDI-TOF MS provides new insights into the spectrum of corneal pathogens and on microbes previously considered as commensals. Corynebacterium macginleyi was described in 1995, and in 2018, the genomic features of three isolates were reported after whole-genome sequencing. Here we describe the clinical characteristics of patients with infectious keratitis (n = 29) presumably caused by Corynebacterium macginleyi, and analyze the genomic features of C. macginleyi (n = 22) isolated from the corneal ulcers of these patients. The disease course was uneventful apart from minor interventions such as corneal cross-linking and amniotic membrane transplant. Genome sequencing and comparison revealed a highly conserved core genome of C. macginleyi. Based on the analyses of single nucleotide polymorphisms, the population could be divided into two main clades that also differed in a few clade-specific genomic islands. Patients infected with an isolate belonging to the minor clade (n = 7) presented a more severe disease. Comparisons with other corynebacterial species clearly separated C. macginleyi. C. macginleyi may be considered a corneal pathogen; genomic analysis provided insights into its population structure and disease-causing potential.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Corynebacterium; Corynebacterium Infections; Female; Humans; Keratitis; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Whole Genome Sequencing
PubMed: 33727638
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85336-w -
Bacteriological Reviews Dec 1970
Review
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 -
Journal of Clinical Microbiology Oct 2012Catalase-positive Gram-positive bacilli, commonly called "diphtheroids" or "coryneform" bacteria were historically nearly always dismissed as contaminants when recovered... (Review)
Review
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 -
BMC Infectious Diseases Jan 2021Pulmonary infections caused by non-diphtheriae corynebacteria are increasing. However, rapid identification of Corynebacterium species poses a challenge due to the low...
BACKGROUND
Pulmonary infections caused by non-diphtheriae corynebacteria are increasing. However, rapid identification of Corynebacterium species poses a challenge due to the low genetic variation within the genus.
METHODS
Three reference strains and 99 clinical isolates were used in this study. A qPCR followed by high-resolution melting (HRM) targeting ssrA was performed to simultaneously identify C. striatum, C. propinquum and C. simulans. To further evaluate this assay's performance, 88 clinical sputum samples were tested by HRM and the detection results were compared with those of the traditional culture method and multiple cross-displacement amplification (MCDA) assay.
RESULTS
The melting curve produced by a pair of universal primers generated species-specific HRM curve profiles and could distinguish the three target species from other related bacteria. The limit of detection of HRM assay for DNA from the three purified Corynebacterium species was 100 fg. Compared with the culture method, HRM detected 22 additional positive specimens, representing a 23.9% relative increase in detection rate. The HRM assay had 98.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 90.5-99.9%) sensitivity and 100% (95% CI, 82.8-100%) specificity. Additionally, 95.5% concordance between HRM and MCDA (κ = 0.89 [95% CI, 0.79-0.99]) was noted.
CONCLUSIONS
The HRM assay was a simple, rapid, sensitive, and specific diagnostic tool for detecting C. striatum, C. propinquum, and C. simulans, with the potential to contribute to early diagnosis, epidemiological surveillance, and rapid response to outbreak.
Topics: Bacterial Proteins; Corynebacterium; Corynebacterium Infections; DNA Primers; Genotyping Techniques; Humans; Limit of Detection; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sputum
PubMed: 33413116
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-020-05633-z -
Revista Chilena de Infectologia :... Dec 2012
Topics: Corynebacterium
PubMed: 23412035
DOI: 10.4067/S0716-10182012000700011 -
Microbiology (Reading, England) Aug 2019Diphtheria toxin is one of the best investigated bacterial toxins and the major virulence factor of toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Corynebacterium ulcerans...
Diphtheria toxin is one of the best investigated bacterial toxins and the major virulence factor of toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Corynebacterium ulcerans strains. However, also diphtheria toxin-free strains of these two species can cause severe infections in animals and humans, indicating the presence of additional virulence factors. In this study, we present a first characterization of two proteins with cytotoxic effect in corynebacteria. A putative ribosome-binding protein (AEG80717, CULC809_00177), first annotated in a genome sequencing project of C. ulcerans strain 809, was investigated in detail together with a homologous protein identified in C. diphtheriae strain HC04 (AEX80148, CDHC04_0155) in this study. The corresponding proteins show striking structural similarity to Shiga-like toxins. Interaction of wild-type, mutant and complementation as well as overexpression strains with invertebrate model systems and cell lines were investigated. Depending on the presence of the corresponding genes, detrimental effects were observed in vivo in two invertebrate model systems, Caenorhabditis elegans and Galleria mellonella, and on various animal and human epithelial and macrophage cell lines in vitro. Taken together, our results support the idea that pathogenicity of corynebacteria is a multifactorial process and that new virulence factors may influence the outcome of potentially fatal corynebacterial infections.
Topics: Animals; Bacterial Proteins; Corynebacterium; Corynebacterium Infections; Corynebacterium diphtheriae; Cytotoxins; Diphtheria; Diphtheria Toxin; Exotoxins; Humans; Virulence Factors
PubMed: 31162026
DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000820