P. Vandamme | Ghent University (original) (raw)

Papers by P. Vandamme

International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology, 2001

A polyphasic taxonomic study, including amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprint... more A polyphasic taxonomic study, including amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting, DNA-DNA hybridizations, DNA base-ratio determinations, phylogenetic analysis, whole-cell fatty acid analyses and an extensive biochemical characterization, was performed on 19 Burkholderia cepacia-like isolates from the environment and cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Several of the environmental isolates have attracted considerable interest due to their biocontrol properties. The polyphasic taxonomic data showed that the strains represent a new member of the B. cepacia complex, for which the name Burkholderia ambifaria sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is strain LMG 19182T. B. ambifaria can be differentiated from the other members of the B. cepacia complex by means of AFLP fingerprinting, whole-cell fatty acid analysis, biochemical tests (including ornithine and lysine decarboxylase activity, acidification of sucrose and beta-haemolysis) and a newly developed recA gene-based PCR ...

FEMS Microbiology Letters, 2003

The availability of a large number of completely sequenced bacterial genomes allows the rapid and... more The availability of a large number of completely sequenced bacterial genomes allows the rapid and reliable determination of intragenomic sequence heterogeneity of 16S rRNA genes. In the present study we assessed the intragenomic sequence heterogeneity of 16S rRNA genes in 55 bacterial genomes, representing various phylogenetic groups. The total number of rRNA operons in genomes included ranged from 2 to 13. The maximum number of nucleotides that were different between any pair of 16S rRNA genes within a genome ranged from 0 to 19. The corresponding minimal similarity ranged from 100 to 98.74%. This indicates that the intragenomic heterogeneity between multiple 16S rRNA operons in these genomes is rather limited and is unlikely to have a profound effect on the classification of taxa. Among the multiple copies of the 16S rRNA genes present in the genomes included, 199 mutations were counted with transitions being the dominant type of mutations over the total length of the 16S rRNA gene. Most heterogeneity occurred in variable regions V1, V2, and V6.

The Prokaryotes, 2006

... In samples with fast growing bacteria such as E. coli, Proteus or Pseudomonas, O. rhinotrache... more ... In samples with fast growing bacteria such as E. coli, Proteus or Pseudomonas, O. rhinotracheale may be overgrown and therefore cannot be detected in routine investigation. Most O. rhi-notracheale isolates are resistant to gentamycin (Hafez et al., 1993). ... Hatfield et al. ...

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1993

The taxonomic position of a group of 16 Moraxella catarrhalis-like strains, isolated mainly from ... more The taxonomic position of a group of 16 Moraxella catarrhalis-like strains, isolated mainly from dogs, was examined by using morphological tests, biochemical tests, serology, ribotyping with oligonucleotide probes, polymerase chain reaction typing of the 16S rRNA gene and the 16S-23S rRNA gene spacer region, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of total proteins, fatty acid profiles, moles percent G+C, dot spot and in-solution DNA-DNA hybridizations, and DNA-rRNA hybridizations. It was found that these organisms constitute a distinct cluster within the genus Moraxella. Since they differ genotypically as well as phenotypically from previously described Moraxella species, a new species, Moraxella canis, is proposed to accommodate these isolates. The type strain is LMG 11194 (= N7 = CCUG 8415A).

Journal of food protection, 2008

Antimicrobial resistance data in food-associated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) such as lactobacilli ... more Antimicrobial resistance data in food-associated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) such as lactobacilli are mostly based on nonstandardized methodologies and/or have been obtained for only a limited number of strains. This susceptibility study included a diverse collection of 115 isolates mainly of food origin originally identified as Lactobacillus paracasei or Lactobacillus casei. Upon reidentification and removal of potential replicate isolates using repetitive DNA element PCR fingerprinting, 65 genotypically unique L. paracasei strains and the L. casei type strain were selected for broth microdilution and Etest assays using the LAB susceptibility test medium. In both methodologies, strains appeared uniformly susceptible to ampicillin and clindamycin but exhibited natural resistance to streptomycin and gentamicin. Three L. paracasei strains from cheese displayed acquired resistance to tetracycline (MIC > or = 32 microg/ml) and/or to erythromycin (MIC >16 microg/ml), which was linke...

Journal of clinical microbiology, 2004

Helicobacter felis, Helicobacter bizzozeronii, and Helicobacter salomonis are frequently found in... more Helicobacter felis, Helicobacter bizzozeronii, and Helicobacter salomonis are frequently found in the gastric mucous membrane of dogs and cats. These large spiral organisms are phylogenetically highly related to each other. Their fastidious nature makes it difficult to cultivate them in vitro, hampering traditional identification methods. We describe here a multiplex PCR test based on the tRNA intergenic spacers and on the urease gene, combined with capillary electrophoresis, that allows discrimination of these three species. In combination with previously described 16S ribosomal DNA-based primers specific for the nonculturable "Candidatus Helicobacter suis," our procedure was shown to be very useful in determining the species identity of "Helicobacter heilmannii"-like organisms observed in human stomachs and will facilitate research concerning their possible zoonotic importance.

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1999

AFLP is a genomic fingerprinting technique based on the selective amplification of restriction fr... more AFLP is a genomic fingerprinting technique based on the selective amplification of restriction fragments from a total double-digest of genomic DNA. The applicability of this method to differentiate between species and genomovars of the genus Burkholderia was tested, with particular emphasis on taxa occurring in cystic fibrosis patients. In this study, 78 well-characterized strains and field isolates were investigated by two methods of AFLP fingerprinting. In the manual procedure, a radioactively labelled primer was used, amplified fragments were separated by conventional PAGE and the patterns were revealed by autoradiography. In the automated procedure, a fluorescently labelled primer was used in combination with electrophoresis and on-line data collection by means of an automated DNA sequencer. Overall, there was good agreement between the two AFLP procedures and the data were mostly consistent with results obtained from SDS-PAGE of whole-cell proteins and DNA-DNA hybridization exp...

Journal of clinical microbiology, 1999

PCR assays targeting rRNA genes were developed to identify species (genomovars) within the Burkho... more PCR assays targeting rRNA genes were developed to identify species (genomovars) within the Burkholderia cepacia complex. Each assay was tested with 177 bacterial isolates that also underwent taxonomic analysis by whole-cell protein profile. These isolates were from clinical and environmental sources and included 107 B. cepacia complex strains, 23 Burkholderia gladioli strains, 20 Ralstonia pickettii strains, 10 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, 8 Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains, and 9 isolates belonging to nine other species. The sensitivity and specificity of the 16S rRNA-based assay for Burkholderia multivorans (genomovar II) were 100 and 99%, respectively; for Burkholderia vietnamiensis (genomovar V), sensitivity and specificity were 87 and 92%, respectively. An assay based on 16S and 23S rRNA gene analysis of B. cepacia ATCC 25416 (genomovar I) was useful in identifying genomovars I, III, and IV as a group (sensitivity, 100%, and specificity, 99%). Another assay, designed to ...

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1999

Strains from subclinical mastitis, from the genital tract and tonsils of cattle, from tonsils of ... more Strains from subclinical mastitis, from the genital tract and tonsils of cattle, from tonsils of a goat and a cat and from the crop and the respiratory tract of canaries were found to constitute a new streptococcal species, for which the name Streptococcus pluranimalium sp. nov. is proposed. Sequencing of 16S rRNA showed that Streptococcus thoraltensis and Streptococcus hyovaginalis were its closest known phylogenetic relatives. The new species showed some phenotypic resemblance to the poorly described species Streptococcus acidominimus, but whole-cell protein analysis and 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that the new species was only distantly related to the type strain of S. acidominimus. Identification of these bacteria, which showed heterogeneous biochemical reaction patterns, was most reliably made by whole-cell protein analysis. Nevertheless, a number of biochemical reactions can be used to differentiate S. pluranimalium from other animal streptococci. Strain LMG 14177T, isolated ...

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1999

Taxon 1502 was originally described as a Riemerella anatipestifer-like bacterium causing exudativ... more Taxon 1502 was originally described as a Riemerella anatipestifer-like bacterium causing exudative septicaemia in ducks and geese. In the present study, an integrated genotypic and phenotypic approach was used to elucidate the phylogenetic affiliation and taxonomic relationships of 12 strains of taxon 1502. Whole-cell protein and fatty acid analyses and an extensive biochemical examination by using conventional tests and several API microtest systems indicated that all isolates formed a homogeneous taxon, which was confirmed by DNA-DNA hybridizations. 16S rDNA sequence analysis of a representative strain (LMG 14382T) indicated that this taxon belongs to the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides phylum and revealed a moderate but distinct relationship to species of the genus Capnocytophaga (overall 16S rDNA sequence identities were 88.8-90.2%). Taxon 1502 is concluded to represent a single species that should be allocated to a novel genus, and the name Coenonia anatina gen. nov., sp. ...

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1999

A polyphasic taxonomic study that included DNA-DNA hybridizations, DNA base ratio determinations,... more A polyphasic taxonomic study that included DNA-DNA hybridizations, DNA base ratio determinations, 16S rDNA sequence analysis, whole-cell protein and fatty acid analyses, AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) fingerprinting and an extensive biochemical characterization was performed on 10 strains provisionally identified as Alcaligenes faecalis-like bacteria. The six environmental and four human isolates belonged to the genus Ralstonia and were assigned to a new species for which the name Ralstonia gilardii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LMG 5886T.

Journal of clinical microbiology, 1999

A blood culture from a 65-year-old febrile man undergoing hemodialysis revealed, 5 days after ino... more A blood culture from a 65-year-old febrile man undergoing hemodialysis revealed, 5 days after inoculation, an unusual gram-negative fusiform rod with darting motility. During another episode of fever 21 days later, this Campylobacter-like organism was again recovered from three blood cultures and subcultured under an H2-enriched microaerobic atmosphere. The organism was catalase negative and oxidase positive and hydrolyzed urea rapidly. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of whole-cell proteins was indistinguishable from that of "Flexispira rappini" LMG 8738 described by Archer et al. in 1988 (J. R. Archer, S. Romero, A. E. Ritchier, M. E. Hamacher, B. M. Steiner, J. H. Bryner, and R. F. Schell, J. Clin. Microbiol. 26:101-105, 1988). The analysis of the 16S ribosomal DNA sequence revealed a similarity of 99.3% between the two strains. The patient recovered completely after a 4-week course of meropenem therapy. This is the first reported case ...

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1997

We performed an integrated genotypic and phenotypic analysis of 128 strains of the genera Burkhol... more We performed an integrated genotypic and phenotypic analysis of 128 strains of the genera Burkholderia, Ralstonia, and Pseudomonas in order to study the taxonomic structure of Burkholderia cepacia and its relationships with other Burkholderia species. Our data show that presumed B. cepacia strains isolated from cystic fibrosis patients belong to at least five distinct genomic species, one of which was identified as Burkholderia vietnamiensis. This group of five phenotypically similar species is referred to as the B. cepacia complex. The name Burkholderia multivorans is proposed for one of these genomic species, which was formerly referred to as B. cepacia genomovar II; the remaining B. cepacia groups are referred to as genomovars I, III, and IV, pending additional differential phenotypic tests. The role and pathogenic potential of each of these taxa, particularly in view of the potentially fatal infections in cystic fibrosis patients, need further evaluation. The data presented also...

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1997

Two groups of strains isolated from sows were shown to belong to new sublines in the genus Strept... more Two groups of strains isolated from sows were shown to belong to new sublines in the genus Streptococcus. Based on phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses, we propose that these bacteria should be classified as two new species, Streptococcus hyovaginalis sp. nov. and Streptococcus thoraltensis sp. nov. These two species are found in the genital tract, but the capnophilic species S. thoraltensis may also occur in the intestinal tract of pigs. The type strain of S. hyovaginalis is SHV515 (= LMG 14710), and S69 (= LMG 13593) is the type strain of S. thoraltensis.

Acta clinica Belgica, 1996

Burkholderia cepacia has become an increasingly recognized pathogen among cystic fibrosis (CF) pa... more Burkholderia cepacia has become an increasingly recognized pathogen among cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and its potential role in declining pulmonary function or unexpected fatal outcome has caused widespread concern. Direct person-to-person transmission has been documented and a segregation policy of CF patients colonized with B.cepacia from non-colonized CF patients is widely adopted. Since this policy has a dramatic impact on social behaviour of CF patients it is imperative that clinical laboratories accurately isolate and identify B.cepacia in the respiratory secretions. In order to comprehend the epidemiology of B.cepacia in the Belgian CF population a multicentre study was conducted during a period of 1 year (March'93-February'94). B.cepacia was isolated in only 12 of 465 CF patients (2.6%). Routine biochemical tests identified these strains as authentic B.cepacia. However, the combined data from protein and DNA-DNA hybridization analyses revealed that the Belgian CF &...

Journal of clinical microbiology, 1996

A prospective study compared fecal isolation rates of Campylobacter concisus for children with di... more A prospective study compared fecal isolation rates of Campylobacter concisus for children with diarrhea and without diarrhea by a filter technique in which media were incubated for 4 days in a microaerobic atmosphere. No statistically significant difference in isolation rates was found (13.2% in patients with diarrhea and 9% in controls). Moreover, 35 of 37 children attending the same day care center harbored different C. concisus strains, as was demonstrated by arbitrary primer PCR DNA fingerprinting. These data suggest a lack of a pathogenic role for C. concisus in enteritis.

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1996

A taxonomic study of Gardnerella vaginalis and G. vaginalis-like coryneforms was performed in ord... more A taxonomic study of Gardnerella vaginalis and G. vaginalis-like coryneforms was performed in order to clarify the phylogenetic affiliation of these organisms and to improve future identification. We examined 50 strains by performing whole-cell protein and fatty acid analyses, a 16S rRNA sequence analysis, and an extensive phenotypic characterization analysis. The results of both chemotaxonomic techniques which we used divided the organisms into two main clusters, and the 16S rRNA sequence analysis revealed that the clusters represent different genera, which were easily distinguished by the results of classical phenotypic tests. The cluster I strains were identified as G. vaginalis, which was shown to be a close relative of the genus Bifidobacterium. An improved description of G. vaginalis is presented. The cluster II strains belong to or are closely related to Actinomyces turicensis.

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1994

The phylogenetic position and various genotypic, chemotaxonomic, and classical phenotypic charact... more The phylogenetic position and various genotypic, chemotaxonomic, and classical phenotypic characteristics of 21 gram-negative avian isolates were studied. These strains constitute a genotypically homogeneous taxon in rRNA superfamily V, as shown by DNA-rRNA hybridization data. Determination of the 16S rRNA sequence of this taxon revealed its detailed position within the "flavobacter" subgroup of the "flavobacter-bacteroides" phylum as described by Gherna and Woese (R. Gherna and C. R. Woese, Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 15:513-521, 1992). This new taxon is only distantly related to other members of the "flavobacter-bacteroides" phylum and is therefore given separate generic status. The DNA-DNA binding values for members of this taxon, for which we propose the name Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale, confirmed that all of the strains are highly interrelated (DNA-DNA binding values greater than 90% were measured). The G+C contents of members of this taxon are betw...

Journal of clinical microbiology, 1994

In 1990, there was a significant increase in the number of lower respiratory tract infections and... more In 1990, there was a significant increase in the number of lower respiratory tract infections and surgical wound infections in the adult intensive care units of our tertiary care teaching hospital caused by Acinetobacter baumannii compared with the number in 1989. During the 5-month period from April through August 1990, 84 isolates of A. baumannii were recovered from 50 hospitalized patients. Biotyping, comparison of antibiograms, plasmid analysis, and DNA polymorphisms of 20 isolates from 20 different patients, determined by the use of repetitive element PCR with primers aimed at repetitive extragenic palindromic sequences and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequences, were used to investigate this apparent outbreak. Biotyping, antibiograms, plasmid analysis, and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR were not useful epidemiologically. Repetitive element PCR-mediated DNA fingerprinting using repetitive extragenic palindromic primers discriminated betwe...

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1995

A polyphasic taxonomic study that included DNA-rRNA hybridizations, DNA-DNA hybridizations, DNA b... more A polyphasic taxonomic study that included DNA-rRNA hybridizations, DNA-DNA hybridizations, DNA base ratio determinations, whole-cell protein and fatty acid analyses, and an examination of classical phenotypic characteristics was performed in order to classify human and veterinary isolates that resemble Bordetella avium. Twelve poultry isolates and two human isolates were assigned to a new species, for which we propose the name Bordetella hinzii. The position of this organism in the family Alcaligenaceae and various genotypic, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic characteristics are described.

International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology, 2001

A polyphasic taxonomic study, including amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprint... more A polyphasic taxonomic study, including amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting, DNA-DNA hybridizations, DNA base-ratio determinations, phylogenetic analysis, whole-cell fatty acid analyses and an extensive biochemical characterization, was performed on 19 Burkholderia cepacia-like isolates from the environment and cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Several of the environmental isolates have attracted considerable interest due to their biocontrol properties. The polyphasic taxonomic data showed that the strains represent a new member of the B. cepacia complex, for which the name Burkholderia ambifaria sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is strain LMG 19182T. B. ambifaria can be differentiated from the other members of the B. cepacia complex by means of AFLP fingerprinting, whole-cell fatty acid analysis, biochemical tests (including ornithine and lysine decarboxylase activity, acidification of sucrose and beta-haemolysis) and a newly developed recA gene-based PCR ...

FEMS Microbiology Letters, 2003

The availability of a large number of completely sequenced bacterial genomes allows the rapid and... more The availability of a large number of completely sequenced bacterial genomes allows the rapid and reliable determination of intragenomic sequence heterogeneity of 16S rRNA genes. In the present study we assessed the intragenomic sequence heterogeneity of 16S rRNA genes in 55 bacterial genomes, representing various phylogenetic groups. The total number of rRNA operons in genomes included ranged from 2 to 13. The maximum number of nucleotides that were different between any pair of 16S rRNA genes within a genome ranged from 0 to 19. The corresponding minimal similarity ranged from 100 to 98.74%. This indicates that the intragenomic heterogeneity between multiple 16S rRNA operons in these genomes is rather limited and is unlikely to have a profound effect on the classification of taxa. Among the multiple copies of the 16S rRNA genes present in the genomes included, 199 mutations were counted with transitions being the dominant type of mutations over the total length of the 16S rRNA gene. Most heterogeneity occurred in variable regions V1, V2, and V6.

The Prokaryotes, 2006

... In samples with fast growing bacteria such as E. coli, Proteus or Pseudomonas, O. rhinotrache... more ... In samples with fast growing bacteria such as E. coli, Proteus or Pseudomonas, O. rhinotracheale may be overgrown and therefore cannot be detected in routine investigation. Most O. rhi-notracheale isolates are resistant to gentamycin (Hafez et al., 1993). ... Hatfield et al. ...

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1993

The taxonomic position of a group of 16 Moraxella catarrhalis-like strains, isolated mainly from ... more The taxonomic position of a group of 16 Moraxella catarrhalis-like strains, isolated mainly from dogs, was examined by using morphological tests, biochemical tests, serology, ribotyping with oligonucleotide probes, polymerase chain reaction typing of the 16S rRNA gene and the 16S-23S rRNA gene spacer region, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of total proteins, fatty acid profiles, moles percent G+C, dot spot and in-solution DNA-DNA hybridizations, and DNA-rRNA hybridizations. It was found that these organisms constitute a distinct cluster within the genus Moraxella. Since they differ genotypically as well as phenotypically from previously described Moraxella species, a new species, Moraxella canis, is proposed to accommodate these isolates. The type strain is LMG 11194 (= N7 = CCUG 8415A).

Journal of food protection, 2008

Antimicrobial resistance data in food-associated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) such as lactobacilli ... more Antimicrobial resistance data in food-associated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) such as lactobacilli are mostly based on nonstandardized methodologies and/or have been obtained for only a limited number of strains. This susceptibility study included a diverse collection of 115 isolates mainly of food origin originally identified as Lactobacillus paracasei or Lactobacillus casei. Upon reidentification and removal of potential replicate isolates using repetitive DNA element PCR fingerprinting, 65 genotypically unique L. paracasei strains and the L. casei type strain were selected for broth microdilution and Etest assays using the LAB susceptibility test medium. In both methodologies, strains appeared uniformly susceptible to ampicillin and clindamycin but exhibited natural resistance to streptomycin and gentamicin. Three L. paracasei strains from cheese displayed acquired resistance to tetracycline (MIC > or = 32 microg/ml) and/or to erythromycin (MIC >16 microg/ml), which was linke...

Journal of clinical microbiology, 2004

Helicobacter felis, Helicobacter bizzozeronii, and Helicobacter salomonis are frequently found in... more Helicobacter felis, Helicobacter bizzozeronii, and Helicobacter salomonis are frequently found in the gastric mucous membrane of dogs and cats. These large spiral organisms are phylogenetically highly related to each other. Their fastidious nature makes it difficult to cultivate them in vitro, hampering traditional identification methods. We describe here a multiplex PCR test based on the tRNA intergenic spacers and on the urease gene, combined with capillary electrophoresis, that allows discrimination of these three species. In combination with previously described 16S ribosomal DNA-based primers specific for the nonculturable "Candidatus Helicobacter suis," our procedure was shown to be very useful in determining the species identity of "Helicobacter heilmannii"-like organisms observed in human stomachs and will facilitate research concerning their possible zoonotic importance.

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1999

AFLP is a genomic fingerprinting technique based on the selective amplification of restriction fr... more AFLP is a genomic fingerprinting technique based on the selective amplification of restriction fragments from a total double-digest of genomic DNA. The applicability of this method to differentiate between species and genomovars of the genus Burkholderia was tested, with particular emphasis on taxa occurring in cystic fibrosis patients. In this study, 78 well-characterized strains and field isolates were investigated by two methods of AFLP fingerprinting. In the manual procedure, a radioactively labelled primer was used, amplified fragments were separated by conventional PAGE and the patterns were revealed by autoradiography. In the automated procedure, a fluorescently labelled primer was used in combination with electrophoresis and on-line data collection by means of an automated DNA sequencer. Overall, there was good agreement between the two AFLP procedures and the data were mostly consistent with results obtained from SDS-PAGE of whole-cell proteins and DNA-DNA hybridization exp...

Journal of clinical microbiology, 1999

PCR assays targeting rRNA genes were developed to identify species (genomovars) within the Burkho... more PCR assays targeting rRNA genes were developed to identify species (genomovars) within the Burkholderia cepacia complex. Each assay was tested with 177 bacterial isolates that also underwent taxonomic analysis by whole-cell protein profile. These isolates were from clinical and environmental sources and included 107 B. cepacia complex strains, 23 Burkholderia gladioli strains, 20 Ralstonia pickettii strains, 10 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, 8 Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains, and 9 isolates belonging to nine other species. The sensitivity and specificity of the 16S rRNA-based assay for Burkholderia multivorans (genomovar II) were 100 and 99%, respectively; for Burkholderia vietnamiensis (genomovar V), sensitivity and specificity were 87 and 92%, respectively. An assay based on 16S and 23S rRNA gene analysis of B. cepacia ATCC 25416 (genomovar I) was useful in identifying genomovars I, III, and IV as a group (sensitivity, 100%, and specificity, 99%). Another assay, designed to ...

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1999

Strains from subclinical mastitis, from the genital tract and tonsils of cattle, from tonsils of ... more Strains from subclinical mastitis, from the genital tract and tonsils of cattle, from tonsils of a goat and a cat and from the crop and the respiratory tract of canaries were found to constitute a new streptococcal species, for which the name Streptococcus pluranimalium sp. nov. is proposed. Sequencing of 16S rRNA showed that Streptococcus thoraltensis and Streptococcus hyovaginalis were its closest known phylogenetic relatives. The new species showed some phenotypic resemblance to the poorly described species Streptococcus acidominimus, but whole-cell protein analysis and 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that the new species was only distantly related to the type strain of S. acidominimus. Identification of these bacteria, which showed heterogeneous biochemical reaction patterns, was most reliably made by whole-cell protein analysis. Nevertheless, a number of biochemical reactions can be used to differentiate S. pluranimalium from other animal streptococci. Strain LMG 14177T, isolated ...

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1999

Taxon 1502 was originally described as a Riemerella anatipestifer-like bacterium causing exudativ... more Taxon 1502 was originally described as a Riemerella anatipestifer-like bacterium causing exudative septicaemia in ducks and geese. In the present study, an integrated genotypic and phenotypic approach was used to elucidate the phylogenetic affiliation and taxonomic relationships of 12 strains of taxon 1502. Whole-cell protein and fatty acid analyses and an extensive biochemical examination by using conventional tests and several API microtest systems indicated that all isolates formed a homogeneous taxon, which was confirmed by DNA-DNA hybridizations. 16S rDNA sequence analysis of a representative strain (LMG 14382T) indicated that this taxon belongs to the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides phylum and revealed a moderate but distinct relationship to species of the genus Capnocytophaga (overall 16S rDNA sequence identities were 88.8-90.2%). Taxon 1502 is concluded to represent a single species that should be allocated to a novel genus, and the name Coenonia anatina gen. nov., sp. ...

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1999

A polyphasic taxonomic study that included DNA-DNA hybridizations, DNA base ratio determinations,... more A polyphasic taxonomic study that included DNA-DNA hybridizations, DNA base ratio determinations, 16S rDNA sequence analysis, whole-cell protein and fatty acid analyses, AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) fingerprinting and an extensive biochemical characterization was performed on 10 strains provisionally identified as Alcaligenes faecalis-like bacteria. The six environmental and four human isolates belonged to the genus Ralstonia and were assigned to a new species for which the name Ralstonia gilardii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LMG 5886T.

Journal of clinical microbiology, 1999

A blood culture from a 65-year-old febrile man undergoing hemodialysis revealed, 5 days after ino... more A blood culture from a 65-year-old febrile man undergoing hemodialysis revealed, 5 days after inoculation, an unusual gram-negative fusiform rod with darting motility. During another episode of fever 21 days later, this Campylobacter-like organism was again recovered from three blood cultures and subcultured under an H2-enriched microaerobic atmosphere. The organism was catalase negative and oxidase positive and hydrolyzed urea rapidly. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of whole-cell proteins was indistinguishable from that of "Flexispira rappini" LMG 8738 described by Archer et al. in 1988 (J. R. Archer, S. Romero, A. E. Ritchier, M. E. Hamacher, B. M. Steiner, J. H. Bryner, and R. F. Schell, J. Clin. Microbiol. 26:101-105, 1988). The analysis of the 16S ribosomal DNA sequence revealed a similarity of 99.3% between the two strains. The patient recovered completely after a 4-week course of meropenem therapy. This is the first reported case ...

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1997

We performed an integrated genotypic and phenotypic analysis of 128 strains of the genera Burkhol... more We performed an integrated genotypic and phenotypic analysis of 128 strains of the genera Burkholderia, Ralstonia, and Pseudomonas in order to study the taxonomic structure of Burkholderia cepacia and its relationships with other Burkholderia species. Our data show that presumed B. cepacia strains isolated from cystic fibrosis patients belong to at least five distinct genomic species, one of which was identified as Burkholderia vietnamiensis. This group of five phenotypically similar species is referred to as the B. cepacia complex. The name Burkholderia multivorans is proposed for one of these genomic species, which was formerly referred to as B. cepacia genomovar II; the remaining B. cepacia groups are referred to as genomovars I, III, and IV, pending additional differential phenotypic tests. The role and pathogenic potential of each of these taxa, particularly in view of the potentially fatal infections in cystic fibrosis patients, need further evaluation. The data presented also...

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1997

Two groups of strains isolated from sows were shown to belong to new sublines in the genus Strept... more Two groups of strains isolated from sows were shown to belong to new sublines in the genus Streptococcus. Based on phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses, we propose that these bacteria should be classified as two new species, Streptococcus hyovaginalis sp. nov. and Streptococcus thoraltensis sp. nov. These two species are found in the genital tract, but the capnophilic species S. thoraltensis may also occur in the intestinal tract of pigs. The type strain of S. hyovaginalis is SHV515 (= LMG 14710), and S69 (= LMG 13593) is the type strain of S. thoraltensis.

Acta clinica Belgica, 1996

Burkholderia cepacia has become an increasingly recognized pathogen among cystic fibrosis (CF) pa... more Burkholderia cepacia has become an increasingly recognized pathogen among cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and its potential role in declining pulmonary function or unexpected fatal outcome has caused widespread concern. Direct person-to-person transmission has been documented and a segregation policy of CF patients colonized with B.cepacia from non-colonized CF patients is widely adopted. Since this policy has a dramatic impact on social behaviour of CF patients it is imperative that clinical laboratories accurately isolate and identify B.cepacia in the respiratory secretions. In order to comprehend the epidemiology of B.cepacia in the Belgian CF population a multicentre study was conducted during a period of 1 year (March'93-February'94). B.cepacia was isolated in only 12 of 465 CF patients (2.6%). Routine biochemical tests identified these strains as authentic B.cepacia. However, the combined data from protein and DNA-DNA hybridization analyses revealed that the Belgian CF &...

Journal of clinical microbiology, 1996

A prospective study compared fecal isolation rates of Campylobacter concisus for children with di... more A prospective study compared fecal isolation rates of Campylobacter concisus for children with diarrhea and without diarrhea by a filter technique in which media were incubated for 4 days in a microaerobic atmosphere. No statistically significant difference in isolation rates was found (13.2% in patients with diarrhea and 9% in controls). Moreover, 35 of 37 children attending the same day care center harbored different C. concisus strains, as was demonstrated by arbitrary primer PCR DNA fingerprinting. These data suggest a lack of a pathogenic role for C. concisus in enteritis.

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1996

A taxonomic study of Gardnerella vaginalis and G. vaginalis-like coryneforms was performed in ord... more A taxonomic study of Gardnerella vaginalis and G. vaginalis-like coryneforms was performed in order to clarify the phylogenetic affiliation of these organisms and to improve future identification. We examined 50 strains by performing whole-cell protein and fatty acid analyses, a 16S rRNA sequence analysis, and an extensive phenotypic characterization analysis. The results of both chemotaxonomic techniques which we used divided the organisms into two main clusters, and the 16S rRNA sequence analysis revealed that the clusters represent different genera, which were easily distinguished by the results of classical phenotypic tests. The cluster I strains were identified as G. vaginalis, which was shown to be a close relative of the genus Bifidobacterium. An improved description of G. vaginalis is presented. The cluster II strains belong to or are closely related to Actinomyces turicensis.

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1994

The phylogenetic position and various genotypic, chemotaxonomic, and classical phenotypic charact... more The phylogenetic position and various genotypic, chemotaxonomic, and classical phenotypic characteristics of 21 gram-negative avian isolates were studied. These strains constitute a genotypically homogeneous taxon in rRNA superfamily V, as shown by DNA-rRNA hybridization data. Determination of the 16S rRNA sequence of this taxon revealed its detailed position within the "flavobacter" subgroup of the "flavobacter-bacteroides" phylum as described by Gherna and Woese (R. Gherna and C. R. Woese, Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 15:513-521, 1992). This new taxon is only distantly related to other members of the "flavobacter-bacteroides" phylum and is therefore given separate generic status. The DNA-DNA binding values for members of this taxon, for which we propose the name Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale, confirmed that all of the strains are highly interrelated (DNA-DNA binding values greater than 90% were measured). The G+C contents of members of this taxon are betw...

Journal of clinical microbiology, 1994

In 1990, there was a significant increase in the number of lower respiratory tract infections and... more In 1990, there was a significant increase in the number of lower respiratory tract infections and surgical wound infections in the adult intensive care units of our tertiary care teaching hospital caused by Acinetobacter baumannii compared with the number in 1989. During the 5-month period from April through August 1990, 84 isolates of A. baumannii were recovered from 50 hospitalized patients. Biotyping, comparison of antibiograms, plasmid analysis, and DNA polymorphisms of 20 isolates from 20 different patients, determined by the use of repetitive element PCR with primers aimed at repetitive extragenic palindromic sequences and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequences, were used to investigate this apparent outbreak. Biotyping, antibiograms, plasmid analysis, and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR were not useful epidemiologically. Repetitive element PCR-mediated DNA fingerprinting using repetitive extragenic palindromic primers discriminated betwe...

International journal of systematic bacteriology, 1995

A polyphasic taxonomic study that included DNA-rRNA hybridizations, DNA-DNA hybridizations, DNA b... more A polyphasic taxonomic study that included DNA-rRNA hybridizations, DNA-DNA hybridizations, DNA base ratio determinations, whole-cell protein and fatty acid analyses, and an examination of classical phenotypic characteristics was performed in order to classify human and veterinary isolates that resemble Bordetella avium. Twelve poultry isolates and two human isolates were assigned to a new species, for which we propose the name Bordetella hinzii. The position of this organism in the family Alcaligenaceae and various genotypic, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic characteristics are described.