Detection of a new Mycobacterium species in wild striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay.
Investigation into recent declines in striped bass health in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland resulted in the isolation of a putative new species of Mycobacterium. This isolate was obtained from fish showing skin ulcers and internal granulomas in various organs. The isolate was slow growing at 28 degrees C; was nonchromogenic; showed no activities of nitrate reduction, catalase activity, Tween 80 hydrolysis, tellurite reduction, or arylsulfatase reduction; grew best at low salt concentrations; and was urease and pyrazinamidase positive. By PCR a unique insertional sequence was identified which matched nothing in any database. Analysis of the nearly complete 16S rRNA gene sequence also indicated a unique sequence which had 87.7% sequence homology to Mycobacterium ulcerans, 87.6% homology to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and 85.9% homology to Mycobacterium marinum. Phylogenetic analysis placed the organism close to the tuberculosis complex. These data support the conclusion that the isolate probably represents a new mycobacterial species.
Heckert
R A
RA
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland 20742-3711, USA. rh175@umail.umd.edu
Elankumaran
S
S
Milani
A
A
Baya
A
A
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001492:Bass / Q000382:microbiology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006099:Granuloma / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D008396:Maryland; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012623:Seawater; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S