title: Aerococcus urinae: intraspecies genetic and phenotypic relatedness.
abstract: A number of Aerococcus-like organisms were recently recognized as human pathogens. Five Aerococcus-like strains were proposed as members of the new species Aerococcus urinae (with type strain E2 [= NCTC 12142]) on the basis of the results of a 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The intraspecies phenotypic and genetic relatedness of 22 selected A. urinae strains was investigated, and a hitherto unrecognized esculin hydrolysis-positive biotype was identified. A total of 14 of the 15 more common esculin-negative strains exhibited very high DNA relatedness as determined by the hydroxyapatite method (the levels of relatedness were greater than 90% in 55 and 70 degrees C reactions, with 1.5% or less divergence in related sequences). The DNA relatedness among the six esculin-positive strains was more heterogeneous, and two DNA hybridization subgroups were formed. Our results are compatible with the hypothesis that both biotypes are members of the single species A. urinae, which contains two or more genetic subspecies. The putative subspecies have not been formally proposed since they cannot be definitively differentiated. The inclusion of A. urinae in the genus Aerococcus is supported by the results of 16S rRNA sequencing. The rRNA sequence data also is compatible with placing both biotypes in a single species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Herlev Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Whitney
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Steigerwalt
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Facklam
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Korner
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Brenner
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D004929:Esculin / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013289:Streptococcaceae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D004929:Esculin