Corynebacterium atypicum sp. nov., from a human clinical source, does not contain corynomycolic acids.
An unusual gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, catalase-positive, diphtheroid-shaped organism originating from an unknown human clinical source was characterized by biochemical, molecular chemical and molecular phylogenetic methods. Based on its morphological and biochemical characteristics and the presence of a murein based on meso-diaminopimelic acid, the unidentified organism was tentatively assigned to the genus Corynebacterium. However, the unknown organism was found to lack the distinctive, short-chain corynomycolic acids that are considered to be characteristic of this genus. Despite the absence of these characteristic lipids, comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that the unknown bacterium was phylogenetically a member of the genus Corynebacterium and was distinct from all currently known species. Based on both phenotypic and 16S rRNA sequence considerations, it is proposed that the unknown organism be classified as a novel species, Corynebacterium atypicum sp. nov. The type strain of C. atypicum is strain R2070T (=CCUG 45804T=CIP 107431T).
Hall
Val
V
Anaerobe Reference Unit, PHLS, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff CF14 4XW, UK.
Collins
Matthew D
MD
School of Food Biosciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Hutson
Roger A
RA
School of Food Biosciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Lawson
Paul A
PA
School of Food Biosciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Falsen
Enevold
E
Culture Collection, Department of Clinical Bacteriology, University of Göteborg, Göteborg, Sweden.
Duerden
Brian I
BI
Anaerobe Reference Unit, PHLS, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff CF14 4XW, UK.
D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009171:Mycolic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D009171:Mycolic Acids; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; C013898:corynomycolic acid