title: Streptobacillus hongkongensis sp. nov., isolated from patients with quinsy and septic arthritis, and emended descriptions of the genus Streptobacillus and Streptobacillus moniliformis.
abstract: Two bacterial strains, HKU33(T) and HKU34, were isolated in Hong Kong from the pus aspirated from the right peritonsillar abscess of a patient with quinsy and the left elbow joint fluid of another patient with tophaceous gout and left elbow septic arthritis, respectively. The bacteria were Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming, non-haemolytic pleomorphic bacilli. They grew best on Columbia agar with 5 % defibrinated sheep blood in an anaerobic environment or aerobic environment with 5 % CO2. They also grew on chocolate agar but not on MacConkey agar. They were catalase- and cytochrome oxidase-negative. They showed a unique profile of enzyme activities distinguishable from their closely related species. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete 16S rRNA gene, and partial groEL, gyrB and recA gene sequences showed the two isolates formed a distinct branch within the family Leptotrichiaceae, being related most closely to Streptobacillus moniliformis. Hierarchical cluster analysis of mass spectra of whole-cell protein contents showed that strains HKU33(T) and HKU34 were closely related to each other, but were distinct from Streptobacillus moniliformis, Sneathia sanguinegens and 'Leptotrichia amnionii'. The DNA G+C content of strain HKU33(T) was 26.0±2.1 mol% (mean±sd; n = 3). DNA-DNA hybridization demonstrated ≤45.02 % DNA relatedness between the two isolates and Streptobacillus moniliformis CCUG 13453(T). A novel species, Streptobacillus hongkongensis sp. nov., is proposed to accommodate strains HKU33(T) and HKU34, with HKU33(T) ( = JCM 18691(T) = NCTC 13659(T) = DSM 26322(T)) designated the type strain. Emended descriptions of the genus Streptobacillus and Streptobacillus moniliformis are also given.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.|State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.|Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.|Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.
authors.forename: Patrick C Y
authors.initials: PCY
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong, PR China.
authors.forename: Alan K L
authors.initials: AKL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.
authors.forename: Chi-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.
authors.forename: Kit-Wah
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.
authors.forename: Antonio H Y
authors.initials: AHY
authors.lastname: Ngan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.
authors.forename: Shirly O T
authors.initials: SOT
authors.lastname: Curreem
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.
authors.forename: Kwok-Wai
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.
authors.forename: Jonathan H K
authors.initials: JHK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.|State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.|Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.|Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.
authors.forename: Jasper F W
authors.initials: JFW
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.|Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.|State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.|Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.
authors.forename: Susanna K P
authors.initials: SKP
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001482:Base Composition; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D000039:Peritonsillar Abscess / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013288:Streptobacillus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S