*Corresponding author. Mailing address:Institut de Bactériologie de la Faculté de Médecine, 3 rue Koeberlé, F-67000 Strasbourg, France. Phone: 33.388.21.19.70. Fax: 33.388.25.11.13. E-mail: priegibs@tpgnet.net.
A new Corynebacterium species, Corynebacterium durum, was isolated from respiratory tract specimens of five human patients. The strains of this species exhibited similar morphologic and biochemical features that differentiated them from all recognized species. Notably, all of these strains developed irregular and strongly adherent colonies under aerobic conditions and produced acid from mannitol and galactose. The cells are long pleomorphic rods with some filaments. This species has characteristics of the genus Corynebacterium, such as 55 mol% guanine plus cytosine in the DNA and the presence of corynomycolic acids, meso-diaminopimelic acid, arabinose, and galactose in the cell wall. These isolates formed a homogeneous group in which the DNA-DNA similarity values (as determined by an SI nuclease procedure) compared with reference strain IBS G15036T (T = type strain) ranged from 71 to 100%. The analysis of the nearly complete 16S rRNA gene sequence of IBS G15036T indicated that this new species represents a distinct taxon within the genus Corynebacterium. This new species can be identified on the basis of its colony morphology, fermentation of sugars, and enzymatic activities. Strain IBS G15036 (= CCUG 37331) is the type strain of C. durum.
BrowM. A. 1990 Sequencing with Taq DNA polymerase. 189–196InnisM. A. et al.edPCR protocols: a guide to methods and application Academic Press, Inc.; San Diego, Calif.:
CollinsM. D.1982; Reclassification of Bacterionema matruchotii (Mendel) in the genus Corynebacterium, as Corynebacterium matruchotii comb. nov. Zentralbl. Bakteriol. Hyg. I. Abt. Orig. C 3:364–367
CollinsM. D., CumminsC. S.1986 Genus Corynebacterium Lehmann and Neumann 1896, 350AL. 1266–1276SneathP. H. A., MairN. S., SharpeM. E., HoltJ. G.edBergey’s manual of systematic bacteriology2 The Williams & Wilkins Co.; Baltimore, Md.:
de BrielD., CoudercF., RiegelP., JehlF., MinckR.1992; Highperformance liquid chromatography of corynomycolic acids as a tool in identification of Corynebacterium species and related organisms. J. Clin. Microbiol. 30:1407–1417
de LamballerieX., ZandottiC., VignoliC., BolletC., de MiccoP.1992; A one-step microbial DNA extraction method using “Chelex 100” suitable for gene amplification. Res. Microbiol. 143:785–790
GrimontP. A. D., PopoffM. Y., GrimontF., CoynaultC., LemelinM.1980; Reproductibility and correlation study of three deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization procedures. Curr. Microbiol. 4:325–330
HollisD. J., WeaverR. E.1981 Gram-positive organisms: a guide to identification. Special Bacteriology Section, Centers for Disease Control; Atlanta, Ga:
PascualC., LawsonP. A., FarrowJ. A E., Navarro GimenezM., CollinsM. D.1995; Phylogenetic analysis of the genus Corynebacterium based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 45:724–728
RiegelP., de BrielD., PrévostG., JehlF., MonteilH.1994; Genomic diversity among Corynebacterium jeikeium strains and comparison with biochemical characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibilities. J. Clin. Microbiol. 32:1860–1865
RiegelP., RuimyR., de BrielD., PrévostG., JehlF., ChristenR., MonteilH.1995; Corynebacterium seminale sp. nov., a new species associated with genital infections in male patients. J. Clin. Microbiol. 33:2244–2249
RuimyR., RiegelP., BoironP., MonteilH., ChristenR.1995; Phylogeny of the genus Corynebacterium deduced from analyses of small-subunit ribosomal DNA sequences. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 45:740–746
StackebrandtE., GoebelB. M.1994; Taxonomic note: a place for DNA-DNA reassociation and 16S rRNA sequence analysis in the present species definition in bacteriology. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 44:846–849