Identification of a clinical isolate as Legionella pneumophila by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry of cellular fatty acids.
Culture of a bronchial aspirate from an immunosuppressed patient with severe pneumonia yielded a growth of filamentous poorly staining gram-negative rods. Fluorescence with Legionella pneumophila direct fluorescein-isothiocyanate conjugate was equivocal. Gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) and GLC/mass-spectrometry (GLC-MS) of the cellular fatty acids of the isolate confirmed that the organism was L. pneumophila. GLC and GLC-MS constitute a rapid and definitive method for identification of L. pneumophila isolates.
D001419:Bacteria / Q000166:cytology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000382:microbiology; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007877:Legionnaires' Disease / Q000382:microbiology*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008875:Middle Aged
D005227:Fatty Acids