A total of 22 strains of curved, anaerobic bacteria from the vaginae of women with bacterial vaginosis were found to be morphologically, biochemically, and genetically distinct from species in previously described genera. We placed these organisms in the genus Mobiluncus gen. nov., which includes curved, anaerobic, motile, rod-shaped bacteria that have multiple subpolar flagella and multilayered gram-variable cell walls, produce succinate and acetate, are stimulated by rabbit serum, and have guanine-plus-cytosine contents of 49 to 52 mol%. Mobiluncus curtisii is the type species (type strain, ATCC 35241). Mobiluncus curtisii strains are small (length, 1.7 μm) and gram variable, are stimulated by arginine, and produce ornithine, citrulline, and ammonia from arginine. Six of these strains migrate through soft (0.25%) agar and are nitrate negative, and these organisms are designated Mobiluncus curtisii subsp. curtisii. Six strains that do not migrate through soft agar and are nitrate positive are designated Mobiluncus curtisii subsp. holmesii (type strain, ATCC 35242). A total of 10 strains are designated Mobiluncus mulieris (type strain, ATCC 35243). These organisms are large (length, 2.9 μm) and gram negative, produce acid (pH <5.5) from glycogen, and are CAMP test positive. The levels of deoxyribonucleic acid homology were >75% within and ≤25% between strains of the two species.
AmselR.,
TottenP. A.,
SpiegelC. A.,
ChenK. C. S.,
EschenbachD.,
HolmesK. K.1983; Nonspecific vaginitis: diagnostic criteria and microbial and epidemiologic associations. Am. J. Med. 74:14–22
BallH. J.,
NeillS. D.,
ReidL. R.1982; Use of arginine aminopeptidase activity in characterization of arginine-utilizing mycoplasmas. J. Clin. Microbiol. 15:28–34
ChenK. C. S.,
CulbertsonN. J.,
KnappJ. S.,
KennyG. E.,
HolmesK. K.1982; Rapid method for simultaneous detection of the arginine dihydrolase system and amino acid decarboxylases in microorganisms. J. Clin. Microbiol. 16:909–919
CrosaJ. H.,
BrennerD. J.,
FalkowS.1973; Use of a single-strand-specific nuclease for analysis of bacterial and plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid homo- and heteroduplexes.. J. Bacteriol. 115:904–911
DurieuxR.,
DublanchetA.1980; Les “vibrions” anaérobies des leucorrhées. I. Technique d’isolement et sensibilité aux antibiotiques. Med. Mai. Infect. 10:109–115
FacklamR. R.1980; Streptococci and aerococci,. 88–110LennetteE. H.Manual of clinical microbiology, 3. American Society for Microbiology; Washington, D.C.:
GreenwoodJ. R.,
PickettM. J.1980; Transfer of Haemophilus vaginalis Gardner and Dukes to a new genus, Gardnerella: G. vaginalis (Gardner and Dukes) comb. nov.. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 30:170–178
HolstE.,
SkarinA.,
MårdhP.-A.1982; Characteristics of anaerobic comma-shaped bacteria recovered from the female genital tract.. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. 1:310–316
JohnsonJ. L.1981; Genetic characterization,. 457–458GerhardtP.Manual of methods for general bacteriology American Society for Microbiology; Washington, D.C.:
KodakaH.,
LombardG. L.,
DowellV. R.1982; Gas-liquid chromatography technique for detection of hippurate hydrolysis and conversion of fumarate to succinate by microorganisms. J. Clin. Microbiol. 16:962–964
KrönigI.1895; Über die Natur der Scheidenheme, specielle über das vorkommen anaërober Streptokokken in Scheidensekret Schwangerer. Zentralbl. Gynaecol. 19:409–412
SkarinA.,
LarssonL.,
HolstE.,
MårdhP.-A.1982; Gas chromatographic study of cellular fatty acids of comma-shaped bacteria isolated from the vagina.. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. 1:307–309
SleytrV. B.,
GlauertA. M.1976; Ultrastructure of the cell walls of two closely related clostridia that possess different regular arrays of surface subunits.. J. Bacteriol. 126:869–882
SoM.,
CrosaJ. H.,
FalkowS.1975; Polynucleotide sequence relationships among Ent plasmids and the relationship between Ent and other plasmids.. J. Bacteriol. 121:234–238
SpiegelC. A.,
EschenbachD. A.,
AmselR.,
HolmesK. K.1983; Curved anaerobic bacteria in bacterial (nonspecific) vaginosis and their response to antimicrobial therapy. J. Infect. Dis 148:817–822
SprottM. S.,
InghamH. R.,
PattmanR. S.,
EisenstadtR. L.,
ShortG. R.,
NarangH. K.,
SissonP. R.,
SelkonJ. B.1983; Characteristics of motile curved rods in vaginal secretions. J. Med. Microbiol. 16:175–182
TottenP. A.,
AmselR.,
HaleJ.,
PiotP.,
HolmesK. K.1982; Selective differential human blood bilayer media for isolation of Gardnerella (Haemophilus) vaginalis.
. J. Clin. Microbiol. 15:141–147