Smooth and Rough Biotypes of Arcanobacterium haemolyticum Can Be Genetically Distinguished at the Arcanolysin Locus.

ABSTRACT: Arcanobacterium haemolyticum is a Gram-positive, β-hemolytic emerging human pathogen that is classified into smooth or rough biotypes. This bacterial species is also a rare pathogen of animals. Smooth biotypes possess smooth colony edges, are moderate to strong in β-hemolysis, and predominately cause wound infections. In contrast, rough biotypes possess rough and irregular colony edges, have weak to no β-hemolytic activity, and predominately cause pharyngitis. Using horse erythrocytes we confirmed that smooth isolates are generally more hemolytic than rough isolates. A hemolysin from A. haemolyticum, arcanolysin (aln/ALN), was recently discovered and is a member of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC) family. PCR amplification of aln from all 36 smooth A. haemolyticum isolates yielded

SUBMITTER: Ruther HS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4575042 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature