Abstract
Twenty-two strains of Flavobacterium recently isolated from patients and other sources were compared with 6 strains of Flavobacterium meningosepticum and 3 strains of King's Flavobacterium group IIb. The field strains were found to resemble group IIb in their characteristics.
All 31 strains of Flavobacterium gave similar results in 28 phenotypic tests; the DNA base compositions of 18 phenotypically representative strains ranged from 35 to 39% GC. Within this group, the 6 strains of F. meningosepticum were phenotypically homogeneous, had a % GC of 36.9, and differed consistently from the 25 strains of group IIb only in the pale colour of their pigment, slowness of pigment production, and inability to hydrolyse starch. All 25 strains of group IIb differed in at least 6 tests from the 6 strains of F. meningosepticum, although not the same 6 tests in each case. Antisera to F. meningosepticum agglutinated 10 strains of group IIb.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, R. L. and Ordal, E. J. 1961. Cytophaga succinicans sp. n., a facultatively anaerobic, aquatic myxobacterium.—J. Bacteriol. 81: 130–138.
Berry, W. B., Morrow, A. G., Harrison, D. C., Hochstein, H. D. and Himmelsbach, C. K. 1963. Flavobacterium septicaemia following intracardiac operations. Clinical observations and identification of the source of infection.—J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. 45: 476–481.
Breed, R. S., Murray, E. G. D. and Smith, N. R. 1957. Bergey's Manual of determinative bacteriology.—Ballière, Tindall and Cox Ltd., London.
Cowan, S. T. and Steel, K. J. 1965. Manual for the identification of medical bacteria.—Cambridge Univ. Press, London.
Du Pont, H. L. and Spink, W. W. 1969. Infections due to Gram-negative organisms: an analysis of 860 patients with bacteraemia at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, 1958–1966.—Medicine (Baltimore) 48: 307–332.
Greaves, P. W. 1966. Isolation of bacteria resembling Flavobacterium meningosepticum from human material in Britain.—J. Med. Lab. Technol. 23: 115–118.
Hill, L. R. 1968. The determination of deoxyribonucleic acid base compositions and its application to bacterial taxonomy, p. 177–186. In B. M. Gibbs and D. A. Shapton, (eds.), Identification methods for microbiologists, Part B.—Academic Press, London.
Hugh, R. and Leifson, E. 1953. The taxonomic significance of fermentative versus oxidative metabolism of carbohydrates by various Gram-negative bacteria.—J. Bacteriol. 66: 24–26.
King, E. O. 1959. Studies on a group of previously unclassified bacteria associated with meningitis in infants.—Amer. J. Clin. Pathol. 31: 241–247.
King, E. O. 1964. The identification of unusual pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria.—C.D.C. Monogr. Publ. Hlth Serv., Dept. Hlth Educn Welf., Atlanta, Georgia.
Marmur, J. 1961. A procedure for the isolation of deoxyribonucleic acid from micro-organisms.—J. Mol. Biol. 3: 208–218.
Marmur, J. and Doty, P. 1962. Determination of the base composition of deoxyribonucleic acid from its thermal denaturation temperature.—J. Mol. Biol. 5: 109–118.
Marmur, J., Falkow, S. and Mandel, M. 1963. New approaches to bacterial taxonomy.—Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 17: 329–372.
Mitchell, T. G., Hendrie, M. S. and Shewan, J. M. 1969. The taxonomy, differentiation and identification of Cytophaga species.—J. Appl. Bacteriol. 32: 40–50.
Olsen, H. 1969. Flavobacterium meningosepticum isolated from outside hospital surroundings and during routine examination of patient specimens.—Acta Path. Microbiol. Scand. 75: 313–322.
Olsen, H. and Ravn, T. 1971. Flavobacterium meningosepticum isolated from the genitals.—Acta Path. Microbiol. Scand. 79: 102–106.
Owen, R. J., Hill, L. R. and Lapage, S. P. 1969. Determination of DNA base compositions from melting profiles in dilute buffers.—Biopolymers 7: 503–516.
Pedersen, M. M., Marso, E. and Pickett, M. J. 1970. Nonfermentative bacilli associated with man: III. Pathogenicity and antibiotic susceptibility.—Amer. J. Clin. Pathol. 54: 178–192.
Pickett, M. J. and Manclark, C. R. 1970. Nonfermentative bacilli associated with man: I. Nomenclature.—Amer. J. Clin. Pathol. 54: 155–163.
Pintér, M. and Iványi, J. 1965. Septicaemia due to Flavobacterium and Mima polymorpha.—Br. Med. J. 1965, I: 1555.
Report. 1956. The bacteriological examination of water supplies.—Rep. Publ. Hlth Med. Subj., Lond. No. 71.
Schiff, J., Suter, L. S., Gourley, R. D. and Sutliff, W. D. 1961. Flavobacterium infection as a cause of bacterial endocarditis. Report of a case, bacteriologic studies, and review of the literature.—Ann. Int. Med. 55: 499–506.
Thornley, M. J. 1960. The differentiation of Pseudomonas from other Gram-negative bacteria on the basis of arginine metabolism.—J. Appl. Bacteriol. 23: 37–52.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Owen, R.J., Lapage, S.P. A comparison of strains of King's group IIb of Flavobacterium with Flavobacterium meningosepticum . Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 40, 255–264 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394383
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394383