title: Leptotrichia hongkongensis sp. nov., a novel Leptotrichia species with the oral cavity as its natural reservoir.
abstract: A straight, non-sporulating, Gram-variable bacillus (HKU24(T)) was recovered from the blood culture of a patient with metastatic breast carcinoma. After repeated subculturing in BACTEC Plus Anaerobic/F blood culture broth, HKU24(T) grew on brucella agar as non-hemolytic, pinpoint colonies after 96 h of incubation at 37 degrees C in an anaerobic environment and aerobic environment with 5% CO2. Growth was enhanced with a streak of Staphylococcus aureus. HKU24(T) was non-motile and catalase-negative, but positive for alkaline phosphatase, beta-glucosidase, and alpha-glucosidase. It hydrolyzed phenylphosphonate and reduced resazurin. 16S rRNA, groEL, gyrB, recA, and rpoB sequencing showed that HKU24(T) occupies a distinct phylogenetic position among the Leptotrichia species, being most closely related to Leptotrichia trevisanii. Using HKU24(T) groEL, gyrB, recA, and rpoB gene-specific primers, fragments of these genes were amplified from one of 20 oral specimens. Based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, we propose a new species, Leptotrichia hongkongensis sp. nov., to describe this bacterium.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. pcywoo@hkucc.hku.hk
authors.forename: Patrick C Y
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Samson S Y
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Jade L L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Kit-Wah
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Antonio H Y
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Ngan
authors.forename: Dong-qing
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tse
authors.forename: Susanna K P
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Kwok-Yung
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Yuen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D045183:Leptotrichia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial