Isolation of a Cellulolytic Bacteroides sp. from Human Feces

An anaerobic cellulolytic bacterium, identified as a Bacteroides sp., was present in 10^-8 g of feces from only one of five human subjects.     

Specificity of a Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron Marker for Human Feces

A bacterial primer set, known to produce a 542-bp amplicon specific for Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, generated this product in PCR with 1 ng of extracted DNA from 92% of 25 human fecal samples, 100% of 20 sewage samples, and 16% of 31 dog fecal samples. The marker was not detected in 1 ng of fecal DNA from 61 cows, 35 horses, 44 pigs, 24 chickens, 29 turkeys, and 17 geese.     

Effect of heme on Bacteroides distasonis catalase and aerotolerance

Parallel increases in intracellular catalase activity and resistance to extracellular H2O2 and to hyperbaric O2 toxicity were observed when Bacteroides distasonis VPI 4243 (ATCC 8503, type strain) was grown in either complex or defined medium containing graded amounts of hemin. Virtually all of the cells with high catalase activity (greater than 200 U/mg) remained viable upon exposure at 37 degrees C to 100-lb/in2 O2 on agar surfaces for 1 h, whereas low-catalase cells (less than 10 U/mg) lost 1.2 log units of viable cells during that treatment. Upon exposure to 500 microM H2O2, high-catalase cells lost 0.4 log units of the initial viable colonies during the same period in which low-catalase cells lost 3 log units of viable cells. The superoxide dismutase activity was the same in each test culture. These data support the role of intracellular catalase in protecting B. distasonis from oxidative damage resulting from hyperbaric oxygenation or H2O2 exposure. Catalase activity elicited by adding hemin to cells grown previously in medium lacking hemin was inhibited only 40% by prior incubation of the cells with chloramphenicol (30 micrograms/ml) and only 22% with rifampin (5 micrograms/ml). A model which is consistent with these data involves the production of an apocatalase in cells grown in low-hemin medium. Addition of hemin to the cells would result in a rapid chloramphenicolor rifampin-insensitive stimulation of catalase activity followed by further de novo biosynthesis of catalase.     

Bacteroides sp. Strain D8, the First Cholesterol-Reducing Bacterium Isolated from Human Feces

The microbial community in the human colon contains bacteria that reduce cholesterol to coprostanol, but the species responsible for this conversion are still unknown. We describe here the first isolation and characterization of a cholesterol-reducing bacterium of human intestinal origin. Strain D8 was isolated from a 10⁻⁸ dilution of a fresh stool sample provided by a senior male volunteer with a high capacity to reduce luminal cholesterol to coprostanol. Cholesterol-to-coprostanol conversion by strain D8 started on the third day, while cells were in stationary phase, and was almost complete after 7 days. Intermediate products (4-cholesten-3-one and coprostanone) were occasionally observed, suggesting an indirect pathway for cholesterol-to-coprostanol conversion. Resting-cell assays showed that strain D8 could reduce 1.5 μmol of cholesterol/mg bacterial protein/h. Strain D8 was a gram-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped organism identified as a member of the genus Bacteroides closely related to Bacteroides vulgatus, based on its morphological and biochemical characteristics. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain D8 was most similar (>99.5%) to those of two isolates of the recently described species Bacteroides dorei. Phylogenetic tree construction confirmed that Bacteroides sp. strain D8 clustered within an independent clade together with these B. dorei strains. Nevertheless, no cholesterol-reducing activity could be detected in cultures of the B. dorei type strain. Based on Bacteroides group-specific PCR-temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis, there was no correlation between the presence of a band comigrating with the band of Bacteroides sp. strain D8 and cholesterol conversion in 11 human fecal samples, indicating that this strain is unlikely to be mainly responsible for cholesterol conversion in the human population.     

Production and some properties of catalase and superoxide dismutase from the anaerobe Bacteroides distasonis.

The catalase level of Bacteroides distasonis (ATCC 8503, type strain) varied with the amount of hemin supplied to the medium when the cells were grown in either a prereduced medium containing 0.5% peptone, 0.5% yeast extract, and 1% glucose or in a prereduced, defined heme-deficient medium. The effect of hemin on catalase production could not be duplicated by ferrous sulfate or ferrous ammonium citrate. Catalase activity reached peak values in late log phase, whereas superoxide dismutase specific activity remained constant throughout the culture growth cycle. The catalase was a nondialyzable, cyanide and azide-sensitive, heat-labile protein that coeluted with bovine erythrocyte catalase from Sepharose 6 B. Analysis of polyacrylamide gels stained for catalase activity and for heme showed a correspondence between the single catalytic activity band and one of three heme-protein bands. These data suggest a heme-protein of approximately 250,000 molecular weight. The superoxide dismutase was a cyanide-insensitive protein of approximately 40,000 molecular weight that migrated electrophoretically on acrylamide gels as a single band of activity.     

Comparative Persistence of Subgroups of F-Specific RNA Phages in River Water

F-specific (F+) RNA phages are widely used as indicators for the presence of fecal contamination and/or enteric viruses in water, and identifying subgroups of F+ RNA phages provides an approach for microbial source tracking. Different survival characteristics of the F+ RNA phage subgroups result in a misinterpretation of their original proportion in water, thus giving misleading information when they are used for microbial source tracking. This study investigated the comparative persistence of subgroups of F+ RNA phages in river water under different conditions. Results suggested that temperature and pH are the major factors affecting the persistence of F+ RNA phages in river water, and organic substances promote phage survival. The comparative persistence patterns of subgroups of F+ RNA phages varied and may bias extrapolation of their initial proportions in surface water. Thus, the characteristics of water should be taken into consideration and the results should be carefully interpreted when F+ RNA phages are used for microbial source tracking.     

Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Equol-Producing Bacterium from Human Feces

An equol-producing bacterium was newly isolated from the feces of healthy humans and its morphological and biochemical properties were characterized. The cells were obligate anaerobes. They were non-sporulating, non-motile, gram-positive bacilliform bacteria with a pleomorphic morphology. The strain was catalase-positive, and oxidase-, urease-, and indole-negative. The only other sugar utilized by the strain was glycerin. The strain also degraded gelatin, but not esculin. It was most closely related to Eggerthella hongkongensis HKU10, with 93.3% 16S rDNA nucleotide sequence homology. Based on these features, the isolate was identified as a novel species of the genus Eggerthella. It was named Eggerthella sp. YY7918. Strain YY7918 converted substrates daidzein and dihydrodaidzein into S-equol, but did not convert daidzin, glysitein, genistein, or formononetin into it. An antimicrobial susceptibility assay indicated that strain YY7918 was susceptible to aminoglycoside-, tetracycline-, and new quinolone-antibiotics.     

Isolation of Acidaminococcus fermentans and Megasphaera elsdenii from Normal Human Feces

Fecal bacterial cultures from 40 normal humans yielded Megasphaera elsdenii from four individuals and Acidaminococcus fermentans from 10 individuals, with two individuals having both organisms.     

人粪便中分离的噬菌蛭弧菌生物学特性的研究

本文研究了人粪便中分离的噬菌蛭弧菌的生物学特性,测定了它们的生长曲线,并利用微孔滤膜过滤和机械振荡的方法,研究了它们的吸附和穿入动力学,发现链霉素、庆大霉素和卡那霉素能抑制蛭弧菌的吸附;青霉素不影响蛭弧菌的吸附和穿入,但抑制蛭弧菌在宿主内的生长过程。从人粪中分出的噬菌蛭弧菌不仅能裂解大部分需氧的革兰氏阴性菌,而且在微氧条件下也能裂解厌氧菌中的二株脆弱拟杆菌。我们发现一株人粪便中分出的噬菌蛭弧菌能形成蛭弧菌囊体——它的休眠态,它对高热、紫外线照射和真空干燥的耐受力较相应的繁殖体强,看来它是蛭弧菌保持生命期限的一种方式。     

Molecular Typing of CTX-M-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Environmental Water,Swine Feces,Specimens from Healthy Humans,and Human Patients

CTX-M-producing Escherichia coli is the predominant type of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli worldwide. In this study, molecular typing was conducted for 139 CTX-M-producing E. coli isolates, phenotypically positive for ESBLs, isolated from environmental water, swine, healthy humans, and hospitalized patients in Hangzhou, China. The antibiotic resistance profiles of the isolates for the cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones were determined. The isolates showed 100% resistance to cefotaxime and ceftriaxone while maintaining relatively high susceptibility to cefoxitin, cefepime, and ceftazidime. A total of 61.9% (86/139) of the isolates, regardless of origin, showed high resistance to fluoroquinolones. PCRs and DNA sequencing indicated that bla_CTX-M-14 was the most prevalent CTX-M-9 group gene and that bla_CTX-M-15 and bla_CTX-M-55 were the dominant CTX-M-1 group genes. Isolates from all sources with CTX-M types belonging to the CTX-M-1 or CTX-M-9 group were most frequently associated with epidemics. Molecular homology analysis of the isolates, conducted by phylogenetic grouping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multilocus sequence typing (MLST), demonstrated that the dominant clones belonged to B2-ST131, D-ST648, D-ST38, or A-CC10. These four sequence types (STs) were discovered in E. coli isolates both from humans and from environmental water, suggesting frequent and continuous intercompartment transmission between humans and the aquatic environment. Seven novel sequence types were identified in the current study. In conclusion, this study is the first to report the molecular homology analysis of CTX-M-producing E. coli isolates collected from water, swine, and healthy and hospitalized humans, suggesting that pathogens in the environment might originate both from humans and from animals.     

Isolation and Characterization of Bile Acid 7-Dehydroxylating Bacteria from Human Feces

Methods for isolation of fecal 7α-dehydroxylating bacteria are presented. A total of 219 strains were isolated from feces of healthy humans, and their ability to 7-dehydroxylate cholic, chenodeoxycholic, and ursodeoxycholic acids were examined. Of all the isolates, 14 strains were found to be capable of eliminating the hydroxy group at C-7α and/or C-7β. All the isolates were strictly anaerobic, Gram-positive rods. Thirteen isolates were non-sporeforming bacteria showing certain saccharolytic properties with the production of acid and gas from dextrose, and were catalase-positive but indole-, lecithinase-, urease- and oxidase-negative. Based on the data available at present, it was concluded that they could be regarded as members of the genus Eubacterium. One strain, however was identified as Clostridium sordellii. The isolated strains capable of 7α-dehydroxylating cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid were also able to oxidize the hydroxy group at C-7α. Nine strains (10, 12, 36S, M-2, M-17, M-18, Y-98, Y-1112, and Y-1113) of the 7α-dehydroxylating bacteria were confirmed to have 7β-dehydroxylation ability, but five strains (O-51, O-52, O-71, O-72, and Y-67) could not transform ursodeoxycholic acid to lithocholic acid.     

Persistence of Tanapox in Tana River Valley

Sera collected from inhabitants of the Tana River valley in 1971 were examined for antibody to tanapox virus. Neutralizing antibody was present in 16·3%. The levels of antibody and its presence in two children under the age of 10 years indicated that infection had been occurring in the area since the reported outbreak in 1962. A comparison of the incidence and distribution of antibodies in the same sera to West Nile virus revealed marked similarities suggesting that tanapox, like West Nile virus infections, might be transmitted in the same way—namely, by a culicine mosquito.     

Inactivation of tryptic activity by a human-derived strain of Bacteroides distasonis in the large intestines of gnotobiotic rats and mice.

Tryptic activity disappeared and trypsin was no longer detected with an antitrypsin antiserum in the large intestines of gnotobiotic rats and mice monoassociated with a human-derived strain of Bacteroides distasonis, whereas tryptic activity was not modified in the small intestines. This function was shown to be strain specific.     

Persistence of Enteroviruses in Lake Water

Two enteroviruses were inactivated more rapidly in a lake than in sterile lake water; then their coat proteins were degraded and, perhaps, used by microorganisms.     

Selective enumeration of Bacteroides vulgatus and B. distasonis organisms in the predominant human fecal flora by using monoclonal antibodies.

The genus Bacteroides represents about one-third of the isolates from human fecal samples. The proportions of the different species are difficult to estimate because there is no method for rapid identification of mixtures of anaerobes. Monoclonal antibodies against Bacteroides vulgatus and B. distasonis were prepared. They did not react with the other Bacteroides species of the B. fragilis group. These reagents allowed direct enumeration of B. vulgatus and B. diastasonis organisms in human fecal samples. Anaerobic bacteria resistant to 1-h contact with air were enumerated in fecal human samples, a filter was layered on the colonies, and then B. vulgatus colonies were identified by an immunoassay performed with the prepared monoclonal antibodies. Healthy human adult volunteers were tested. Most of them harbored B. vulgatus at high levels, while the B. distasonis levels were always lower. Kinetic studies suggested that time variations for each volunteer were small. The simplified quantification of Bacteroides strains at the species level described here will prove useful in complementing our knowledge of the factors which may influence the predominant human fecal flora.     

Taxonomic Lactobacillus Composition of Feces from Human Newborns during the First Few Days

Abstract Intestinal microbiota comprise a complex ecosystem whose equilibrium is crucial for the health of animal species. For humans, data exist on the microbiota composition in adult subjects, but few studies have addressed the microbiota composition in infants. In particular, data on the presence and species distribution of members of the genus Lactobacillus in newborns (less than one week old) are lacking. In the present work, the feces of healthy newborns were sampled to determine the taxonomic composition of Lactobacillus in the intestinal microbiota in a group of 16 neonates. In total, 1640 colony-forming units (CFU) were isolated, of which 420 grouped in the Lactobacillus genus by means of primary phenotypic characterization. The 420 isolates were further grouped into 125 strains on the basis of identical plasmid profiles. Of these 125 strains, 21 turned out to be permanent, i.e., they were identified in the feces of the same subject on several consecutive days. Sugar fermentation, DNA/DNA hybridization, and S-layer protein determination enabled us to classify 52 of the 125 strains as follows: L. paracasei (40 strains), L. delbrueckii sp. (1 strain), and L. acidophilus (sensu stricto) (11 strains). Based on the same criteria, the remaining 73 strains were tentatively allotted to the Johnson subgroup B, although hybridization experiments with probes specific for L. gasseri and L. johnsonii species were not performed. The presence of new species among these 73 strains cannot be excluded. Surprisingly, the obligately heterofermentative lactobacilli, L. reuteri in particular, were entirely absent from the feces of healthy newborns. Received: 26 March 1997; Accepted: 24 July 1997     

News & Notes: Adhesiveness of Bacteroides fragilis Strains Isolated from Feces of Healthy Donors, Abscesses, and Blood

Bacteroides fragilis strains attached to oral epithelial cells (ECs) and the cell line Intestine 407 and associated with human phagocytes with different efficiencies depending on their source. The 58%, 75%, and 40% of strains isolated from feces, abscesses, and blood respectively adhered to ECs with good efficiency (11–40 bacteria/cell). Of the strains from feces and abscesses, 17% and 20% exhibited a high adherence (>40 bacteria/cell); however, none of the blood isolates presented this property. Similar results were obtained with the cell line Intestine 407 and human phagocytes. Of the isolates from feces, abscesses, and blood, 20%, 56%, and 71% respectively also exhibited hemagglutination ability, indicating that this property is a virulence trait more frequently present among pathogenic isolates than in commensal strains.