* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 6, 00581 Helsinki, Finland, Phone: 358-0-70849704. Fax: 358-0-70849718.
Organisms whose cells were large, tight spirals were isolated from gastric biopsies of dogs. Touch cytology samples from all of the dogs contained large spiral organisms. Characteristics of 10 strains are described. These organisms were 5 to 10 μm long by 0.3 μm wide, and each cell had 10 to 20 sheathed flagella at both ends of the cell. The cells did not have periplasmic fibrils. These organisms were microaerophilic and grew at 37 and 42°C but not at 25°C on brain heart infusion agar containing blood. They did not grow on brucella blood agar. They were catalase and oxidase positive, hydrolyzed urea but not hippurate, reduced nitrate, and were resistant to nalidixic acid but susceptible to cephalothin and metronidazole. In contrast to Helicobacter felis, they hydrolyzed indoxyl acetate. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis protein profiles of all of the strains were similar, and the protein patterns of these organisms differed from those of other Helicobacter spp. Dot blot DNA-DNA hybridization experiments revealed that the new strains were closely related to each other but clearly different from H. felis, Helicobacter pylori, Helicobacter mustelae, and Campylobacter jejuni. The name Helicobacter bizzozeronii sp. nov. is proposed for these organisms. Our results suggest that other “uncultured” gastric helicobacters may be cultured if optimal culture conditions are found.
BizzozeroG.1893; Sulle ghiandole tubulari del tubo gastroenterico e sui rapporti del loro colPepitelio de rivestimento della mucosa. Atti R. Accad. Sci. Torino 28:233–251
BreedR. S., MurrayE. G. D., HichensA. P.1948 Family Pseudomonadaceae,. 217Bergey’s manual of determinative bacteriology, 6th. Williams and Wilkins; Baltimore:
GoodwinC. S., ArmstrongJ. A., ChilversT., PetersM., CollinsM. D., SlyL., McConnellW., HarperW. E. S.1989; Transfer of Campylobacter pylori and Campylobacter mustelae to Helicobacter gen. nov. as Helicobacter pylori comb. nov. and Helicobacter mustelae comb. nov., respectively. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol 39:397–405
GootzT. D., Pedez-PerezG. I., ClancyJ., MartinB.-A., Tait-KamradtA., BlaserM. J.1994; Immunological and molecular characterization of Helicobacter felis urease. Infect. Immun 62:793–798
HanninenM.-L., JalavaK., SaariS., HapponenI., WestermarckE.1995; Culture of “Gastrospirillum,” from gastric biopsies of dogs. Eur. J. Clin. Miocrobiol. Infect. Dis 14:145 Letter
HeilmannK. L., BochardF.1991; Gastritis due to spiral-shaped bacteria other than Helicobacter pylori: clinical, ultrastructural findings. Gut 32:137–140
LeeA.1989 Human gastric spirilla other than C. pylori. 222–240BlaserM. J.edCampylobacter pylori in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease Igaku-Shoin Medical Publishers; New York:
LounatmaaK.1985 Electron microscopic methods for the study of bacterial surface structures. 695–698KorhonenT. K., DawesE. A., MakelaP. H.edEnterobacterial surface antigens: methods for molecular characterization Elsevier; Amsterdam:
NomuraA., StemmermannG. N., ChyouP., Perez-PerezG. I., BlaserM. J.1994; Helicobacter pylori and the risk for duodenal and gastric ulceration. Ann. Intern. Med 120:977–981
PasterB. J., LeeA., FoxJ. G., DewhirstF. E., TordoffL. A., FraserG. J., O’ourkeJ. R., TaylorN. S., FerreroR.1991; Phylogeny of Helicobacter fells sp. nov., Helicobacter mustelae, and related bacteria. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol 41:31–38
QueirozD. M. M., RochaG. A., MendesE. N., LageA. P., CarvalghoA. C. T., BarbosaA. J. A.1990; A spiral microorganism in the stomach of pigs. Vet. Microbiol 24:199–204
RappinJ.1881 Contribution a fetude de bacteries de la bouche a Fetat normal. Quoted by BreedR. S., MurrayE. G. D., HichensA. P.Bergey’s manual of determinative bacteriology217, 8th. Williams & Wilkins; Baltimore: 1974
SalomonH.1898; Uber das Spirillum des Saugetiermagens und sein Verhalten zu den Belegzellen. Zentralbl. Bakteriol. Parasitenkd. Infektionskr. Hyg. Abt. 1 19:422–441
SolnickJ. V., O’RourkeJ., LeeA., PasterB., DewhirstF. E., TompkinsL. S.1993; An uncultured gastric spiral organism is a newly identified Helicobacter in humans. J. Infect. Dis 168:379–385
UrsingJ. B., LiorH., OwenR. J.1994; Proposal of minimal standards for describing new species of the family Campylobacteraceae. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol 44:842–845
WeberA. F., EF. SchmittdieL. 1962; Electron microscopic and bacteriologic studies of spirilla isolated from the fundic stomachs of cats and dogs. Am. J. Vet. Res 23:422–427