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Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of Clinical Isolates of Mycobacterium elephantis from Human Specimens

National Reference Centre for Mycobacteriology, National Microbiology Laboratory, Population and Public Health Branch, Health Canada,¹ Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba,³ Tuberculosis and Mycobacteriology Laboratory, Laboratory Branch, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada²

Received 20 November 2001/ Returned for modification 19 December 2001/ Accepted 11 January 2002

Eleven strains of a rapidly growing mycobacterium were isolated from patient specimens originating from various regions of the province of Ontario, Canada, over a 2-year period. Unique high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and PCR-restriction enzyme pattern analysis (PRA) profiles initially suggested a new Mycobacterium species, while sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed a sequence match with Mycobacterium sp. strain MCRO 17 (GenBank accession no. X93028), an isolate determined to be unique which is to date uncharacterized, and also a close similarity to M. elephantis (GenBank accession no. AJ010747), with six base pair variations. A complete biochemical profile of these isolates revealed a species of mycobacteria with phenotypic characteristics similar to those of M. flavescens. HPLC, PRA, and 16S rRNA sequencing of strain M. elephantis DSM 44368^T and result comparisons with the clinical isolates revealed that these strains were in fact M. elephantis, a newly described species isolated from an elephant. All strains were isolated from human samples, 10 from sputum and 1 from an axillary lymph node.

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