Gram negative rod II Flashcards
What are the names of gram-negative bacteria?
Pseudomonas
Vibrio
Campylobacter
Helicobacter
Neisseria
Gram-negative bacteria, oxidase-positive, motile, aerobic bacilli.
Produce water-soluble pigment.
Occur widely in soil, water, plants, and animals.
Pseudomonas
Gram-negative, motile, aerobic rods, oxidase-positive, singly or pairs.
Widely distributed in nature and is commonly present in moist environments in hospitals.
Can produce multiple colony types.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Catalyzes the production of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide and causes tissue damage. Non-fluorescent bluish pigment.
Pyocyanin
Fluorescent pigment which gives a greenish colour to the agar
Pyoverdin
A red pigment, which is soluble in water but insoluble in alcohol
Pyorubin
A brown/black pigment
Pyomelanin
Are all strains of Pseudomonas pigmented?
No
Toxins:
- Exotoxin A: prevents the synthesis of proteins in eukaryotic cells
- Exoenzymes S and T: show adenosine diphosphate transferase activity, inhibit protein synthesis, and cause immunosuppression
Enzymes:
- Elastase: destroys elastin
- Alkaline protease: tissue destruction
- Phospholipase C: tissue destruction by breaking down lipids and lecithin
Cell wall components:
- Pili: adhesion of bacteria to the epithelial cells
- LPS: endotoxic activity, sepsis
- Pyocyanin: causes tissue damage, inflammation
P. aeruginosa
- An opportunistic pathogen
- Causes infections in immunocompromised host
- Respiratory tract infections: cystic fibrosis (thick, sticky mucus blocks the airway), bronchopneumonia, and lobar pneumonia.
- Skin infections: burn wound, chronic paronychia, infected toe web, pseudomonal folliculitis, and pseudomonal cellulitis.
- UTI
- Ear infections (swimmer’s ear)
- Eye infections: wearing contact lens are at increased risk of developing Pseudomonal infection
- Endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and secondary septicemia.
P. aeruginosa
Small, gram-negative, curved bacilli, motile, and oxidase positive.
Vibrio
What are the two main human pathogens in Vibrio?
V. cholera and V. parahemolyticus
Curved gram-negative rods, fermentative, aerobic and facultative anaerobic, non-sporing, and require salt for growth.
Natural inhabitants of seawater but are also found in freshwater.
Halophilic: widely distributed in marine environments.
Water-borne or associated with water-living animals.
Can multiply freely in water.
Never found in normal human.
Isolated from gastrointestinal tract and faeces of infected individuals/
V. cholerae
Cholera toxin: inhibits the absorption of sodium and chloride in the intestine, which causes hypersecretion of large volumes of water.
Toxin coregulated pilus: helps in adherence
Accessory colonization: helps in adhesion
Haemagglutination-protease (mucinase): induces intestinal inflammation and helps to release the bacteria
Neuraminidase: increases toxin receptors
V. cholerae
Causes cholera, epidemic diarrheal disease. Appearance of stool “rice-water” like. They do not reach the bloodstream but remain in gastrointestinal tract.
V. cholerae