Open AccessOral Actinomyces Isolates Forming Red Colonies on Brain Heart Blood Agar Can Be Unambiguously Classified as A. odontolyticus by Macroscopic Examination
Author(s) -
Annette Kaetzke,
Henrike Körner,
S Kneist,
Klaus Eschrich
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of clinical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.349
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1070-633X
pISSN - 0095-1137
DOI - 10.1128/jcm.41.8.3729-3731.2003
Subject(s) - actinomyces , biology , actinomycetaceae , microbiology and biotechnology , agar plate , agar , 16s ribosomal rna , actinomycetales , ribosomal rna , ribosomal dna , brain heart infusion , bacteria , streptomyces , genetics , phylogenetics , gene
The accurate classification of oral Actinomyces isolates as one species is difficult. Out of 18 Actinomyces isolates forming red colonies on brain heart blood agar, 12 could be straightforwardly assigned as Actinomyces odontolyticus by biochemical, morphological, and chemotaxonomic characteristics. For the remaining six isolates, the results of the different identification methods were inconsistent. By sequencing a 16S ribosomal DNA fragment by a rapid mass spectrometric method, all isolates could be identified unambiguously as A. odontolyticus. This result proves the importance of red colony pigmentation on brain heart blood agar together with the characteristic cell morphology for unequivocal assignment of oral Actinomyces isolates to the species A. odontolyticus.