Open AccessDetermination of 23S rRNA sequences from members of the genus Streptococcus and characterization of genetically distinct organisms previously identified as members of the Streptococcus anginosus group
Author(s) -
Sultana Ferdousi,
Kawamura Yoshiaki,
Hou XiaoGang,
Shu ShinEi,
Ezaki Takayuki
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1998.tb12824.x
Subject(s) - streptococcus anginosus , 23s ribosomal rna , biology , ribosomal rna , 16s ribosomal rna , genetics , phylogenetic tree , streptococcus intermedius , microbiology and biotechnology , hybridization probe , gene , streptococcus , rna , bacteria , ribosome
The 23S rRNA gene sequences of eight type strains of the genus Streptococcus were determined. Three species‐specific probes for the three members of the Streptococcus anginosus group and one group‐specific probe for these three species were designed. The PCR‐amplified 23S rRNA gene sequences of 28 clinical strains were examined by hybridization with the four oligonucleotide probes. They were suspected to be members of the S. anginosus group by biochemical tests; however, only 21 strains (75%) hybridized to one of the three species probes. Seven biochemically atypical strains did not hybridize to these species‐specific probes. Of the seven strains, three hybridized to the group‐specific probe. The 23S ribosomal RNA sequences of these three strains differed by three bases within the 20‐base probe area of S. anginosus . The phylogenetic tree of the 16S rRNA of these three strains located them within the branch of S. anginosus . The remaining four strains, which did not hybridize to group‐ or species‐specific probes, had a raffinose‐positive and VP‐negative phenotype. The probe hybridization results showed that these four strains did not belong to the S. anginosus group and were closely related to S. parasanguis according to partial sequences of their 16S rRNA genes.