Deoxyribonucleic acid relatedness and phenotypic variation among human isolates of Eikenella corrodens.

ABSTRACT

The type strain of Eikenella corrodens (Eiken 1958) Jackson and Goodman 1972 and eleven epidemiologically independent clinical isolates recovered from periodontal locations, putrid wounds, abscesses, and bacteraemias were investigated for their genomic relationships by DNA-DNA hybridization with the renaturation method, genome molecular complexity, DNA base composition and some phenotypic features. The bacterial strains studied were interrelated at or above the 80% DNA binding level, their chromosomal DNAs exhibiting a mean molecular mass of 1.7 x 10(9) daltons and a mean guanine plus cytosine content of 55.1 mol%. Variations in colonial morphology, hemolytic activity on sheep blood agar, reduction of nitrates, oxidation of carbohydrates, lipase, leucine, valine, and cystine aminopeptidase and acid phosphatase activities occurred among closely interrelated strains. The definition of the species and current identification keys must be emended accordingly.