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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, November 2002, p. 4397-4398, Vol. 40, No. 11
0095-1137/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.40.11.4397-4398.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Antigenic and Genotypic Relationships between Bartonella henselae Strains


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LETTER
 
The ubiquitous feline intraerythrocytic pathogen Bartonella henselae causes a range of important human infections, and seroprevalence in blood donors in Australia is around 5% (6). Two antigenically distinct subtypes have been described, named for the type strain (Houston-1) and the more recently recognized Marseille strain (5), which have characteristic DNA sequences in the 16S rRNA gene (rDNA) and the gltA (citrate synthase) gene (2, 3, 5). Culture of this fastidious, gram-negative bacterium is difficult, and serology is a primary diagnostic approach. A recent report that Houston-like strains (including Houston-1, 90-615, and SA-2) may be distinguished from serologically distinct Marseille-like strains (including URBHLLY-8, URBHLIE-9, Fizz, and CAL-1) by the faster migration of a characteristic band (ca. 29 kDa) on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis and immunoblotting of whole-cell lysates is therefore particularly noteworthy (7).

However, the SDS-PAGE data appear to contrast with previous publications from the same laboratory (8, 9) and others (11). We therefore compared local human isolates with the Houston-1 and Marseille strains and also found two closely related genotypes with corresponding patterns on SDS-PAGE of whole-cell lysates (Fig. 1). All human strains appear to have either the 30-kDa band (Houston) or the 29-kDa band (Marseille), in agreement with earlier studies (10, 11). The agar-pitting colony phenotype and number of in vitro passages have no apparent influence (Fig. 1 and Table 1). However, a local feline strain of the type II (Marseille-like) 16S rDNA genotype has the faster-migrating (29-kDa) band and a gltA gene sequence typical of Houston strains, consistent with the considerable diversity known to exist in feline strains (1, 10) and illustrating a dissociation of the accepted genotype-phenotype relationships. The strains in the recent study (7) were all human isolates and were assigned to genotypes by individual sequencing of several genes, including groEL (12) and the 16S rDNA (3). While the 29- to 30-kDa antigen(s) may yet prove useful for serotyping of human isolates, it thus seems unlikely that reported inconsistencies in the data can be easily explained by phase variation or genotype. In addition, we have no reason to assume that the more diverse feline strains are all nonpathogenic in humans. For both of thesereasons, we therefore urge caution in adopting this promising target as a basis for serotype distinction until the picture is clearer.



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  		FIG. 1. Marseille and Houston types. Coomassie-stained SDS-PAGE of whole-cell lysates harvested from chocolate agar plates (grown at 35°C in 5% CO2). High-molecular-weight (lane 1 and left border) and low-molecular-weight (right border) markers are shown, with values in kilodaltons. Lanes: 2, BH5; 3, BH4; 4, URBHLLY-8 Marseille; 5, ATCC 49882 Houston-1; 6, HC35 (S4); 7, HC35 (S20).


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  		TABLE 1. B. henselae isolates used in this study


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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
 
P.K. and D.B. are recipients of Australian Postgraduate Awards.


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REFERENCES
 
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  2. Bergmans, A. M. C., J. F. P. Schellekens, J. D. A. van Embden, and L. M. Schouls. 1996. Predominance of two Bartonella henselae variants among cat-scratch disease patients in The Netherlands. J. Clin. Microbiol. 34:254-260.[Abstract]
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  6. Flexman, J. P., S. C. Chen, D. J. Dickeson, J. W. Pearman, and G. L. Gilbert. 1997. Detection of antibodies to Bartonella henselae in clinically diagnosed cat-scratch disease. Med. J. Aust. 166:532-535.[Medline]
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  7. La Scola, B., Z. Liang, Z. Zeaiter, P. Houpikian, P. A. D. Grimont, and D. Raoult. 2002. Genotypic characteristics of two serotypes of Bartonella henselae. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40:2002-2008.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
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  8. Liang, Z., and D. Raoult. 2000. Differentiation of Bartonella species by a microimmunofluorescence assay, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and Western immunoblotting. Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. 7:617-624.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
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  9. Liang, Z., B. La Scola, H. Lepidi, and D. Raoult. 2001. Production of Bartonella genus-specific monoclonal antibodies. Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. 8:847-849.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
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  10. Sander, A., M. Ruess, S. Bereswill, M. Schuppler, and B. Steinbrueckner. 1998. Comparison of different DNA fingerprinting techniques for molecular typing of Bartonella henselae isolates. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36:2973-2981.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
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  11. Yamamoto, K., B. B. Chomel, R. W. Kasten, C. M. Hew, D. K. Weber, W. I. Lee, S. Droz, and J. K. Koehler. 2002. Experimental infection of domestic cats with Bartonella koehlerae and comparison of protein and DNA profiles with those of other Bartonella species infecting felines. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40:466-474.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
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  12. Zeaiter, Z., P. E. Fournier, H. Ogata, and D. Raoult. 2002. Phylogenetic classification of Bartonella species by comparing groEL sequences. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 52:165-171.[Abstract]
Jon Iredell*
Josh McHattan
Pierre Kyme
Belinda Dillon
Deborah Blanckenberg
Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology
Level 3, ICPMR Bldg. Westmead Hospital
Hawkesbury Road
Westmead, New South Wales 2145, Australia

* Phone: 61-2-98456255
Fax: 61-2-98915317
E-mail: joni{at}icpmr.wsahs.nsw.gov.au.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, November 2002, p. 4397-4398, Vol. 40, No. 11
0095-1137/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.40.11.4397-4398.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Dillon, B, Iredell, J (2004). DdeI RFLP for 16S rDNA typing in Bartonella henselae. J Med Microbiol 53: 1263-1265 [Full Text]  
  • Rodrick, D., Dillon, B., Dexter, M., Nicholson, I., Marcel, S., Dickeson, D., Iredell, J. (2004). Culture-Negative Endocarditis Due to Houston Complex Bartonella henselae Acquired in Noumea, New Caledonia. J. Clin. Microbiol. 42: 1846-1848 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Iredell, J., Blanckenberg, D., Arvand, M., Grauling, S., Feil, E. J., Birtles, R. J. (2003). Characterization of the Natural Population of Bartonella henselae by Multilocus Sequence Typing. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 5071-5079 [Abstract] [Full Text]  

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