title: Re-assessment of phenotypic identifications of Bacteroides putredinis to Alistipes species using molecular methods.
abstract: Alistipes (previously Bacteroides) are strictly anaerobic gram-negative rods that resemble the Bacteroides fragilis group in that most species are bile-resistant and indole-positive; however, they are only weakly saccharolytic and most species produce light brown pigment only on laked rabbit blood agar. In this retrospective study, we re-identified 18 organisms previously identified phenotypically as "Bacteroides putredinis-like", but that did not produce pigment on routine media. The strains were identified with 16S rDNA sequencing and pigment production was evaluated on several different culture media. Only 12/18 strains had molecular identifications of Alistipes species, while the remaining strains phylogenetically resembled Butyricimonas and Odoribacter spp. Pigment production was not a reliable test for those Alistipes strains that are described as pigment producers.
authors.affiliation: R. M. Alden Research Laboratory, Culver City, CA 90230, USA. K.L.Tyrrell@RMAldenResearch.com
authors.forename: Kerin L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Tyrrell
authors.forename: Yumi A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: Diane M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Citron
authors.forename: Ellie J C
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003470:Culture Media; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000379:methods; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S