title: Differentiation of human Capnocytophaga species by multilocus enzyme electrophoretic analysis and serotyping of immunoglobulin A1 proteases.
abstract: As part of a larger taxonomic investigation of the genus Capnocytophaga, 50 strains, including reference strains as well as clinical isolates, were subjected to multilocus enzyme electrophoretic (MLEE) analysis of 12 intracellular metabolic enzymes and characterization of their immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) proteases by enzyme-neutralizing antibodies raised in rabbits. The dendrogram derived from cluster analysis of the MLEE data discriminated between the five known human Capnocytophaga species and separated the strains into two major divisions. Division A comprised C. gingivalis and C. granulosa strains, and division B comprised C. ochracea, C. sputigena and C. haemolytica strains. Immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) protease activity, a known feature of C. ochracea, C. sputigena and C. gingivalis, was present in all strains except the type strain of C. haemolytica and two clinical isolates. Inhibition typing of IgA1 proteases of all active strains with enzyme-neutralizing antibodies against protease preparations of the type strains of C. ochracea, C. sputigena and C. gingivalis separated the strains into two major groups identical to the two divisions based on the MLEE data. Thus, the IgA1 proteases of C. granulosa and C. gingivalis seemed to be antigenically similar to one another, and different from the IgA1 proteases of C. ochracea and C. sputigena, which had similar characteristics. The clustering of the clinical isolates based on the MLEE analyses, which was confirmed by the antigenic characterization of IgA1 proteases, was in good agreement with the results of previous studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, Royal Dental College, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ellen V G
authors.initials: EVG
authors.lastname: Frandsen
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral Medicine, Pathology and Microbiology, Department of Oral and Dental Science, University of Bristol, Lower Maudlin Street, Bristol BS1 2LY, UK.
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Wade
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D002206:Capnocytophaga / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology; D004798:Enzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011817:Rabbits; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012703:Serotyping; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D004798:Enzymes; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C021433:IgA-specific serine endopeptidase