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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, November 2006, p. 4163-4171, Vol. 44, No. 11
0095-1137/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.01137-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Molecular Characterization of Disease-Associated Streptococci of the Mitis Group That Are Optochin Susceptible

Luz Balsalobre,¹ Antonia Hernández-Madrid,¹ Daniel Llull,² Antonio J. Martín-Galiano,^1, Ernesto García,² Asunción Fenoll,³ and Adela G. de la Campa^1*

Unidad de Genética Bacteriana,¹ Servicio de Bacteriología, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain,³ Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain²

Received 2 June 2006/ Returned for modification 16 August 2006/ Accepted 6 September 2006

Eight optochin-susceptible (Opt^s) alpha-hemolytic (viridans) streptococcus isolates were characterized at the molecular level. These isolates showed phenotypic characteristics typical of both viridans streptococci and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Comparison of the sequence of housekeeping genes from these isolates with those of S. pneumoniae, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus oralis, and Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae suggested that the Opt^s isolates corresponded to streptococci of the mitis group. Besides, the Opt^s streptococci were negative by a Gen-Probe AccuProbe pneumococcus test and hybridized with specific pneumococcal probes (lytA and ply) but also with ant, a gene not present in most S. pneumoniae strains. Moreover, the isolates were insoluble in 1% sodium deoxycholate but completely dissolved in 0.1% deoxycholate. Sequence analysis of the lytA gene revealed that the Opt^s streptococci carried lytA alleles characteristic of those present in nonpneumococcal streptococci of the mitis group. The determination of the partial nucleotide sequence embracing the atp operon encoding the F_oF₁ H⁺-ATPase indicated that the optochin susceptibility of the isolates was due to the acquisition of atpC, atpA, and part of atpB from S. pneumoniae by horizontal gene transfer.

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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Unidad de Genética Bacteriana, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain. Phone: (34) 91 509 7904. Fax: (34) 91 509 7919. E-mail: agcampa{at}isciii.es.

Published ahead of print on 13 September 2006.

Present address: Lehrstuhl für Genomorientierte Bioinformatik, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan, Am Forum 1, 85354 Freising, Germany.

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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, November 2006, p. 4163-4171, Vol. 44, No. 11
0095-1137/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.01137-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

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