WEEK 14: GRAM POSITIVE RODS Flashcards
What are the tests used to differentiate Corynebacterium (-) to Listeria(+)?
- Motility (22C)
- Bile esculin Hydrolysis
- Found as free-living saprophytes
- Water, soil, air
- Resistant to drying
- 80 species, of which 50 are clinically significant
- Members of the usual flora of humans and animals
- Closely related to Mycobacteria and Nocardia
- Clinically significant isolates
- Catalase positive and nonmotile
Corynebacterium
- Facultatively anaerobic
- Gram-positive, non–spore-
forming rods - Arranged in palisades
- Club-shaped
- Babes-Ernst granules
- Polymerized phosphates
Corynebacterium
- is the most significant pathogen.
- Causes diphtheria
- Difficult to speciate other species
- Other species may cause infections in immunocompromised hosts.
- Generally thought of as contaminants
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
- Worldwide distribution
- Rare in places where vaccination programs exist
- Exotoxin is a major virulence factor.
- Diphtheria toxin
- Toxin is produced by certain strains.
- Lysogenized by bacteriophage with toxin gene (tox+)
- Only toxin-producing bacteria can cause diphtheria.
- Toxin production is inversely proportional to iron availability.
- Toxin is antigenic.
- Thus can use immunoglobulin G (IgG) to block toxin effects
Toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae
What is the major virulence factor of Corynebacterium diphtheriae?
Exotoxin
- Inhibits protein synthesis
- NAD+ + EF-2 → ADPR-EF-2 + Nicotinamide + H+
- Catalyzes transfer of ADPR to link with EF2 ADPR.EF (inactive)
- Leads to cell/tissue death
A: active fragment
- Mediates entry of fragment A
- binds to specific cell membrane receptors
Fragment B
- Respiratory
- Acquired by droplet spray
- Aerosol or hand-to-mouth contact
- Unimmunized individuals are susceptibleb
Clinical Infections of Diphtheria
- More prevalent in the tropics
- Infections occur at the site of minor abrasions.
- Nonhealing ulcers with a dirty gray membrane
Cutaneous form of C. diphtheriae
- Used to demonstrate
pleomorphism and
metachromatic granules - Babes-Ernst granules
Loeffler’s serum agar
- Modified Tinsdale medium
- Selective and differential
- Black colonies with brown
halos around the colonies
Cystine-tellurite blood
agar (CTBA)
- Common on skin and most frequently recovered species
- Opportunistic infections
- Prosthetic joint infections, sepsis, and endocarditis
- In nosocomial or immunocompromised patients
C. amycolatum
- Mastitis in cattle
- Contact with animals or unpasteurized milk
C. ulcerans
- Infections from catheters or prosthetic devices
- Prosthetic valve endocarditis
C. jeikeium
- Urinary pathogen
- Highly urease positive (within minutes)
C. urealyticum
- Opportunistic infection
- Often endocarditis
C. pseudodiphtheriticum
- Contact with sheep
- Dermonecrotic toxin
C. pseudotuberculosis
- Rare infections
- Normal flora
C. striatum
Gram-positive non–spore-forming coccobacillary
L. monocytogenes
Induces phagocytosis
Surface protein p60
- Cold enrichment
- Grows at 4°C
- Catalase positive
- Rules out Streptococcus
- Negative for hippurate hydrolysis
- Motility
- Motile at 25°C
- “Umbrella” type motility
- Tumbling motility in hanging drop method
L. monocytogenes
- Likely develop disease from penetration of the intestine
and systemic spread - Septicemia/meningitis in the compromised/elderly
- Also endocarditis
- Mild flulike syndrome in pregnant women could be fatal to fetus
- Premature labor, spontaneous abortion
Listeriosis
- Gram-positive, nonsporulating forming rods
- Coccobacillus that often appears like cocci
- Widespread in nature
- Primarily infect animals
- Human exposure is limited.
- Generally dairy products because it grows at low temperature
- Processed meats can also contain this bacteria
Listeria monocytogenes
- Normal oral flora
- Endocarditis
Rothia dentocariosa
- Damages phagocytic membrane and prevents killing of the organism
Listeriolysin O
- Grows well on sheep blood agar (SBA) and chocolate
agar - Prefers slightly increased carbon dioxide (CO2)
- Colonies produce a narrow zone of hemolysis.
- Similar to group B Streptococcus
L. monocytogenes
Produces a “block” type of hemolysis in contrast to “arrow” shape produced by group B Streptococcus
Christie Atkins Munch-Petersen (CAMP) test (L. monocytogenes)