phenylephrine-hydrochloride and Hemolysis

Twenty coagulase-negative Staphylococcus strains displaying alpha-haemolysis (delta-haemolysin) on sheep-blood agar were isolated from the noses of different pigs in Switzerland. The strains were Gram-stain-positive, non-motile cocci, catalase-positive and coagulase-negative. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, sodA, rpoB, dnaJ and hsp60 and phylogenetic characteristics revealed that the strains showed the closest relatedness to Staphylococcus microti CCM 4903(T) and Staphylococcus muscae DSM 7068(T). The strains can be differentiated from S. microti by the absence of mannose fermentation and arginine arylamidase and from S. muscae by the absence of beta-glucuronidase activity and production of alkaline phosphatase. The chosen type strain ARI 262(T) shared 20.1 and 31.9 % DNA relatedness with S. microti DSM 22147(T) and S. muscae CCM 4903(T), respectively, by DNA-DNA hybridization. iso-C(15 : 0), anteiso-C(15 : 0) and iso-C(17 : 0) were the most common fatty acids. Cell-wall structure analysis revealed the peptidoglycan type A3alpha l-Lys-Gly(2)-l-Ser-Gly (type A11.3). The presence of teichoic acid was determined by sequencing the N-acetyl-beta-d-mannosaminyltransferase gene tarA, which is involved in biosynthesis of ribitol teichoic acid. Menaquinone 7 (MK-7) was the predominant respiratory quinone. The G+C content of ARI 262(T) was 38.8 mol%. The isolated strains represent a novel species of the genus Staphylococcus, for which we propose the name Staphylococcus rostri sp. nov. The type strain is ARI 262(T) (=DSM 21968(T) =CCUG 57266(T)) and strain ARI 602 (=DSM 21969 =CCUG 57267) is a reference strain.

Topics: Animals; Bacterial Proteins; DNA, Bacterial; DNA, Ribosomal; Fatty Acids; Hemolysin Proteins; Hemolysis; Molecular Sequence Data; Nose; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Staphylococcus; Sus scrofa; Switzerland

In hostile environments diversity within a bacterial population may be beneficial for the fitness of the microbial community as a whole. Here we analysed the population diversity of Staphylococcus aureus in infecting and colonizing situations. In the study, performed independently in two German centres, the heterogeneity of the S. aureus population was determined by quantifying the occurrence of phenotypic variants (differences in haemolysis, pigmentation, colony morphology) in primary cultures from nose, oropharyngeal and sputum specimens from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and in nose swabs from healthy S. aureus carriers. The proportion of heterogeneous samples, the number of clearly distinguishable isolates per sample and the qualitative differences between phenotypes was significantly higher in CF sputum specimens than in the other samples. The heterogeneity of the S. aureus population could be correlated with high bacterial densities in the sputum samples. In patients co-infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa lower S. aureus bacterial loads and less heterogeneity in the S. aureus population were observed. Typing of all S. aureus isolates from heterogeneous samples by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis or spa typing revealed that the bacteria were polyclonal in 30%, monoclonal with minor genetic alterations in 25% or not distinguishable in 69% of the specimens. Some specimens harboured monoclonal and polyclonal variants simultaneously. Importantly, differences in antibiotic susceptibility were detected in phenotypic S. aureus variants within a single specimen. Diversification of a S. aureus population is highly favoured during chronic CF lung infection, supporting the general hypothesis that maintenance of intrahost diversity can be of adaptive value, increasing the fitness of the bacterial community.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Carrier State; Child; Child, Preschool; Cystic Fibrosis; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; Female; Hemolysis; Humans; Infant; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Nose; Oropharynx; Phenotype; Sputum; Staphylococcal Infections; Staphylococcus aureus

Altogether 55 S. aureus strains were isolated from the nose and skin of 2 monkey species (Cercopithecus sabaeus and Macaca fascicularis). The strains were studied in 19 biological tests. 45 of these strains were found to differ in their biological properties from the ecological S. aureus variants described in literature. Of these grounds the strains were classified with the new ecovar simiae comprising 2 subvariants. The strains of the ecovar simiae coagulated human plasma, did not coagulate bovine plasma, formed type A/B colonies on a medium containing crystalline violet, required longer time to ferment mannitol (4-5 days), possessed DNase, were sensitive to "human" and resistant to "bovine" phages. The cultures of subvariant 1 produced fibrinolysin and caused type A hemolysis, the strains of subvariant 2 has no fibrinolysin and caused types B and C hemolysis.

Topics: Animals; Bacteriophage Typing; Cercopithecus; Chlorocebus aethiops; Coagulase; Deoxyribonucleases; Ecology; Hemolysis; Macaca; Macaca fascicularis; Nose; Skin; Staphylococcus aureus

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Bacteriocins; Child; Coagulase; Fibrinolysin; Hemolysis; Humans; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Nose; Penicillin Resistance; Pharynx; Phospholipases; Skin; Staphylococcal Infections; Staphylococcus

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteriophage Typing; Coagulase; Fibrinolysis; Germany, West; Hemolysis; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Nose; Pharynx; Serotyping; Staphylococcus; Swine

Topics: Animals; Antibody Formation; Antigen-Antibody Complex; Complement System Proteins; Cornea; Hemolysis; Immune Sera; Immunoglobulin A; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; Keratitis, Dendritic; Neutralization Tests; Nose; Rabbits; Simplexvirus; Tears; Vaccination; Viral Vaccines

Topics: Animals; Antigens; Bacteriological Techniques; Complement Fixation Tests; Erythrocytes; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Guinea Pigs; Hemolysin Proteins; Hemolysis; Hominidae; Humans; Immune Sera; Lipid Metabolism; Mycoplasma; Mycoplasma Infections; Nose; Pan troglodytes; Pharynx; Rabbits; Rectum; Serotyping; Sheep; Vagina

Twelve filtrable, pleomorphic organisms isolated from swine joints and respiratory tracts had typical colonial and microscopic characteristics of mycoplasmas. They resisted penicillin and did not revert to cell wall-producing bacterial forms in media devoid of bacterial inhibitors. The morphological and growth characteristics of these mycoplasmas were similar to those described previously for Mycoplasma granularum. However, a new name, M. hyosynoviae, is proposed for them since they differed biologically, serologically, and electrophoretically from the prototype strain of M. granularum. M. hyosynoviae required sterols, was stimulated by gastric mucin, and metabolized arginine; however, it did not metabolize urea, ferment glucose, or reduce tetrazolium. The organism produced "film and spots" on horse serum-supplemented medium and produced alpha hemolysis of guinea pig and sheep erythrocytes; however, it did not digest serum, produce phosphatase, or hemadsorb guinea pig or swine erythrocytes. M. hyosynoviae was distinguished from three other swine mycoplasmas, M. granularum, M. hyorhinis, and M. laidlawii, by means of acrylamide gel electrophoresis, growth inhibition, metabolic inhibition, and immunodiffusion techniques. It was also serologically and electrophoretically distinct from 13 additional non-swine mycoplasmas which require sterols and metabolize arginine.

Topics: Acrylates; Arginine; Bacterial Proteins; Electrophoresis; Fermentation; Gels; Glucose; Hemadsorption; Hemolysis; Immunodiffusion; Joints; Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; Mycoplasma; Nose; Penicillin Resistance; Species Specificity; Sterols; Tetrazolium Salts; Urea