Roseovarius pelagicus sp. nov., a facultatively anaerobic bacterium with potential for degrading polypropylene, isolated from Arctic seawater.

A Gram-stain-negative, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated HL-MP18T, was isolated from Arctic seawater after a prolonged incubation employing polypropylene as the sole carbon source. Phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain HL-MP18T was affiliated to the genus Roseovarius with close relatives Roseovarius carneus LXJ103T (96.8 %) and Roseovarius litorisediminis KCTC 32327T (96.5 %). The complete genome sequence of strain HL-MP18T comprised a circular chromosome of 3.86 Mbp and two circular plasmids of 0.17 and 0.24 Mbp. Genomic comparisons based on average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization showed that strain HL-MP18T was consistently discriminated from its closely related taxa in the genus Roseovarius. Strain HL-MP18T showed optimal growth at 25 °C, pH 7.0 and 2.5 % (w/v) sea salts. The major cellular fatty acids were C18 : 1 ω6c and/or C18 : 1 ω7c (49.6 %), C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c (13.5 %), and C16 : 0 (12.8 %). The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10. The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified aminolipid and three unidentified lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content of the strain was 59.2 mol%. The phylogenetic, genomic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic results indicate that strain HL-MP18T is distinguishable from the recognized species of the genus Roseovarius. Therefore, we propose that strain HL-MP18T represents a novel species belonging to the genus Roseovarius, for which the name Roseovarius pelagicus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HL-MP18T (=KCCM 90405T=JCM 35639T).

Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of oral gram negative anaerobes from Indian subjects.

OBJECTIVES: There is paucity of information on the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of oral anaerobic bacteria. In this study, an attempt has been made to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility/resistance trend of oral Gram negative bacteria from Indian subjects. METHODS: Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 304 isolates against twelve different antibiotics were determined using gradient diffusion MIC strips. The organisms were isolated and identified based on phenotypic characteristics and included Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella species, Tannerella forsythia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcoitans, Eickenella corrodens and Capnocytophaga species. For each antimicrobial agent, MIC50 and MIC90 were calculated and expressed. RESULTS: Resistance to azithromycin, clindamycin, and amoxicillin was observed in most of the anaerobic bacterial species studied. High degree of susceptibility was observed to amoxillin-clavulanic acid, doxycycline and moxifloxacin. A single strain of P. melaninogenica was resistant to moxifloxacin. The susceptibility pattern varied with cephalosporins among species. Ceftriaxone showed highest and cefazolin least efficacy among cephalosporins. All anaerobic bacteria tested were susceptible to metronidazole. Strains of T. forsythia were more resistant to several antibiotics than other anaerobic bacteria. All three species of capnophilic bacteria displayed high degree of resistance to metronidazole and significant resistance to amoxicillin, azithromycin, clindamycin, cefazolin and cefuroxime. CONCLUSIONS: Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, doxycycline, moxifloxacin and metronidazole appeared to be the most effective drugs against gram negative anaerobic bacteria. However, the MIC50 and MIC90 values against metronidazole were on the higher side of the normal indicating a potential for developing resistance.

Development and application of aerobic, chemically defined media for Dysgonomonas.

Members of Dysgonomonas are Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, facultatively anaerobic coccobacilli originally described in relation to their isolation from stool and wounds of human patients (CDC group DF-3). More recently, Dysgonomonas have been found to be widely distributed in terrestrial environments and are particularly enriched in insect systems. Their prevalence in xylophagous insects such as termites and wood-feeding cockroaches, as well as in soil-fed microbial fuel cells, elicit interest in lignocellulose degradation and biofuel production, respectively. Their occurrence in mosquito and fruit fly have implications relating to symbiosis, host immunology and developmental biology. Additionally, their presence in termite, mosquito and nematode present novel opportunities for pest and vector control. Currently, the absolute growth requirements of Dysgonomonas are unknown, and they are commonly cultured under anaerobic conditions on complex media containing blood, peptones, tryptones, and yeast, plant or meat extracts. Restrictive and undefined culturing conditions preclude physiological and genetic studies, and thus further understanding of their metabolic potential. Here we describe the requirements for growth of termite-derived Dysgonomonas isolates and create parallel complex, defined and minimal media that permit vigorous and reliable aerobic growth. Furthermore, we show that these media can be used to easily enrich for Dysgonomonas isolates from densely-colonized and microbially-diverse environmental samples.

Multiple factors drive the abundance and diversity of the diazotrophic community in typical farmland soils of China.

Biological nitrogen fixation plays an important role in nitrogen cycling by transferring atmospheric N2 to plant-available N in the soil. However, the diazotrophic activity and distribution in different types of soils remain to be further explored. In this study, 152 upland soils were sampled to examine the diazotrophic abundance, nitrogenase activity, diversity and community composition by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, acetylene reduction assay and the MiSeq sequencing of nifH genes, respectively. The results showed that diazotrophic abundance and nitrogenase activity varied among the three soil types. The diazotrophic community was mainly dominated by Bradyrhizobium, Azospirillum, Myxobacter, Desulfovibrio and Methylobacterium. The symbiotic diazotroph Bradyrhizobium was widely distributed among soils, while the distribution of free-living diazotrophs showed large variation and was greatly affected by multiple factors. Crop type and soil properties directly affected the diazotrophic ɑ-diversity, while soil properties, climatic factors and spatial distance together influenced the diazotrophic community. Network structures were completely different among all three types of soils, with most complex interactions observed in the Red soil. These findings suggest that diazotrophs have various activities and distributions in the three soil types, which played different roles in nitrogen input in agricultural soil in China, being driven by multiple environmental factors.

Abditibacterium utsteinense sp. nov., the first cultivated member of candidate phylum FBP, isolated from ice-free Antarctic soil samples.

Most bacterial lineages are known only by molecular sequence data from environmental surveys and represent the uncultivated majority. One of these lineages, candidate phylum FBP, is widespread in extreme environments on Earth, ranging from polar and desert ecosystems to wastewater and contaminated mine sites. Here we report on the characterization of strain LMG 29911T, the first cultivated representative of the FBP lineage. The strain was isolated from a terrestrial surface sample from Utsteinen, Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica and is a Gram-negative, aerobic, oligotrophic chemoheterotrophic bacterium. It displays growth in a very narrow pH range, use of only a limited number of carbon sources, but also a metabolism optimized for survival in low-nutrient habitats. Remarkably, phenotypic and genome analysis indicated an extreme resistance against antibiotics and toxic compounds. We propose the names Abditibacterium utsteinense for this bacterium and Abditibacteriota for the former candidate phylum FBP. Furthermore, inter- and intra-phylum relationships indicate Armatimonadetes, a neighboring lineage to the Abditibacteriota, to be a superphylum.

Characterization of a novel arabinose-tolerant α-L-arabinofuranosidase with high ginsenoside Rc to ginsenoside Rd bioconversion productivity.

AIMS: (i) To investigate the enzymatic characterization of α-L-arabinofuranosidase from Thermotoga thermarum DSM5069. (ii) To evaluate the performance of its excellent properties on converting ginsenoside Rc to ginsenoside Rd. METHODS AND RESULTS: The thermostable α-L-arabinofuranosidase (Tt-Afs) gene from T. thermarum DSM5069 was cloned and overexpressed. Recombinant Tt-Afs was purified, and its molecular weight was approx. 55 kDa. Its optimal activity was at pH 5·0 and 95°C. It has high selectivity for cleaving the outer arabinofuranosyl moieties at the C-20 carbon of ginsenoside Rc and its sugar-tolerance makes Tt-Afs a promising candidate for the production of ginsenoside Rd. In a reaction at 85°C and pH 5·0, 25 g l(-1) of ginsenoside Rc was transformed into 21·8 g l(-1) of Rd within 60 min, with a corresponding molar conversion of 99·4% and a high ginsenoside Rd productivity of 21800 mg l(-1) h(-1). CONCLUSIONS: We have successfully cloned and overexpressed the novel α-l-arabinofuranosidase from T. thermarum DSM5069. The high ginsenoside Rd productivity and detailed characterization of recombinant Tt-Afs was provided. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The result shows a high productivity on the bioconversion from high concentration ginsenoside Rc to ginsenoside Rd, which also give rise to a potential commercial enzyme application.

Distributions of Synergistetes in clinically-healthy and diseased periodontal and peri-implant niches.

Bacterial taxa belonging to the phylum Synergistetes are commonly detected within diseased periodontal niches, but are rarely found within healthy oral sites. However, as they typically constitute a minor fraction of the oral microbiota, their precise distributions and disease-associations remain to be fully established. Here, we surveyed the Synergistetes taxa present within individual periodontal/subgingival and peri-implant/submucosal sites, within Chinese subjects (n = 18) affected by both peri-implantitis and periodontitis. Four individual, clinically-distinct sites were analyzed in each patient: healthy sulcus; periodontitis lesion; healthy peri-implant space; peri-implantitis lesion. We employed a clone library-based approach, using PCR-primers that specifically amplified ca. 650bp regions of the 16S rRNA gene from oral cluster A and B Synergistetes taxa. Twenty-one of the 72 sites (from 12/18 subjects) yielded Synergistetes 16S rRNA PCR products. Sequencing of cloned amplicon libraries yielded 1338 quality-filtered 16S rRNA sequences, which were assigned to 26 Synergistetes operational taxonomic units (OTUs; oral taxon SH01-SH26) using a 98.5% identity cut-off. We identified 25 Synergistetes oral cluster A OTUs (genus Fretibacterium; corresponding to Human Oral Taxon (HOT) numbers 358, 359, 360, 361, 362, 363, 452, and 453), and one oral cluster B OTU (Pyramidobacter piscolens oral taxon SH04, HOT-357). Three OTUs predominated: Fretibacterium oral taxon SH01 (HOT-360), Fretibacterium oral taxon SH02 (HOT-452), and Fretibacterium fastidiosum oral taxon SH03 (HOT-363). The Synergistetes community compositions within the respective periodontal and peri-implant sites were variable and complex, and no statistically-significant correlations could be established. However, the detection frequency of F. fastidiosum SH03 and Fretibacterium oral taxon SH01 were both positively associated with plaque index at healthy subgingival sites. Taken together, our results show that diverse Synergistetes populations inhabit both diseased and healthy periodontal and peri-implant niches, with considerable site-to-site variations in composition occurring within the same oral cavity.

Expression of Heterologous Cellulases in Thermotoga sp. Strain RQ2.

The ability of Thermotoga spp. to degrade cellulose is limited due to a lack of exoglucanases. To address this deficiency, cellulase genes Csac_1076 (celA) and Csac_1078 (celB) from Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus were cloned into T. sp. strain RQ2 for heterologous overexpression. Coding regions of Csac_1076 and Csac_1078 were fused to the signal peptide of TM1840 (amyA) and TM0070 (xynB), resulting in three chimeric enzymes, namely, TM1840-Csac_1078, TM0070-Csac_1078, and TM0070-Csac_1076, which were carried by Thermotoga-E. coli shuttle vectors pHX02, pHX04, and pHX07, respectively. All three recombinant enzymes were successfully expressed in E. coli DH5α and T. sp. strain RQ2, rendering the hosts with increased endo- and/or exoglucanase activities. In E. coli, the recombinant enzymes were mainly bound to the bacterial cells, whereas in T. sp. strain RQ2, about half of the enzyme activities were observed in the culture supernatants. However, the cellulase activities were lost in T. sp. strain RQ2 after three consecutive transfers. Nevertheless, this is the first time heterologous genes bigger than 1 kb (up to 5.3 kb in this study) have ever been expressed in Thermotoga, demonstrating the feasibility of using engineered Thermotoga spp. for efficient cellulose utilization.

Development of a polymerase chain reaction assay for the rapid detection of the oral pathogenic bacterium, Selenomonas noxia.

BACKGROUND: In recent studies, periodontal health has been linked to being overweight and/or obese. Among common oral bacteria, Selenomonas noxia has been implicated in converting periodontal health to disease, and Selenomonas species have also been found in gastric ulcers. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay for the specific and rapid detection of S. noxia. METHODS: Two oligonucleotide primer pairs and one probe were designed and tested to determine optimal amplification signal with three strains of S. noxia. The PCR assay was tested against fourteen non-target organisms, including closely related oral Selenomonads, one phylogenetically closely related bacterium, and two commonly isolated oral bacteria. RESULTS: One of the primer sets was more sensitive at detecting the target organism and was selected for optimization and validation experiments. The designed primers and probe amplified the target organism with 100% specificity. PCR inhibition was observed with an internal positive control, and inhibition was resolved by diluting the DNA extract. CONCLUSIONS: The qPCR assay designed in this study can be used to specifically detect S. noxia in the clinical setting and in future research involving the enhanced detection of S. noxia. The assay can also be used in epidemiological studies for understanding the role of S. noxia in disease processes including, but not limited to, oral health and obesity of infectious origin.

Characterization of Sporohalobacter salinus sp. nov., an anaerobic, halophilic, fermentative bacterium isolated from a hypersaline lake.

Halophilic, obligately anaerobic, Gram-stain-negative bacterial strains were isolated from a sediment sample taken from under the salt crust of El-Jerid hypersaline lake in southern Tunisia by using tryptone or glucose as the substrate. One strain, CEJFT1B(T), was characterized phenotypically and phylogenetically. Cells were non-motile, non-spore-forming, short rods. Strain CEJFT1B(T) was able to grow in the presence of 5-30 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum 20 %) and at 30-60 °C (optimum 45 °C). It grew at pH 5.5-7.8 and the optimum pH for growth was 6.8. The isolate required yeast extract for growth. Substrates utilized by strain CEJFT1B(T) as the sole carbon source included glucose, fructose, sucrose, pyruvate, Casamino acids and starch. Individual amino acids such as glutamate, lysine, methionine, serine, tyrosine, and amino acid mixtures formed by the Stickland reaction such as alanine-glycine, valine-proline, leucine-proline, isoleucine-proline were also utilized. Products of glucose fermentation were acetate (major product), butyrate, H2 and CO2. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain CEJFT1B(T) was 32.3 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain CEJFT1B(T) should be assigned to the genus Sporohalobacter. The sequence similarity between strain CEJFT1B(T) and Sporohalobacter lortetii was 98.5 %, but DNA-DNA hybridization between the two strains revealed a relatedness value of 56.4 %, indicating that they are not related at the species level. The combination of phylogenetic analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization data, and differences in substrate utilization support the view that strain CEJFT1B(T) represents a novel species of the genus Sporohalobacter, for which the name Sporohalobacter salinus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CEJFT1B(T) ( = DSM 26781(T) = JCM 19279(T)).

Oral Gram-negative anaerobic bacilli as a reservoir of ß-lactam resistance genes facilitating infections with multiresistant bacteria.

Many ß-lactamases have been described in various Gram-negative bacilli (Capnocytophaga, Prevotella, Fusobacterium, etc.) of the oral cavity, belonging to class A of the Ambler classification (CepA, CblA, CfxA, CSP-1 and TEM), class B (CfiA) or class D in Fusobacterium nucleatum (FUS-1). The minimum inhibitory concentrations of ß-lactams are variable and this variation is often related to the presence of plasmids or other mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that modulate the expression of resistance genes. DNA persistence and bacterial promiscuity in oral biofilms also contribute to genetic transformation and conjugation in this particular microcosm. Overexpression of efflux pumps is facilitated because the encoding genes are located on MGEs, in some multidrug-resistant clinical isolates, similar to conjugative transposons harbouring genes encoding ß-lactamases. All these facts lead us to consider the oral cavity as an important reservoir of ß-lactam resistance genes and a privileged place for genetic exchange, especially in commensal strictly anaerobic Gram-negative bacilli.

The subgingival microbiome of clinically healthy current and never smokers.

Dysbiotic oral bacterial communities have a critical role in the etiology and progression of periodontal diseases. The goal of this study was to investigate the extent to which smoking increases risk for disease by influencing the composition of the subgingival microbiome in states of clinical health. Subgingival plaque samples were collected from 200 systemically and periodontally healthy smokers and nonsmokers. 16S pyrotag sequencing was preformed generating 1,623,713 classifiable sequences, which were compared with a curated version of the Greengenes database using the quantitative insights into microbial ecology pipeline. The subgingival microbial profiles of smokers and never-smokers were different at all taxonomic levels, and principal coordinate analysis revealed distinct clustering of the microbial communities based on smoking status. Smokers demonstrated a highly diverse, pathogen-rich, commensal-poor, anaerobic microbiome that is more closely aligned with a disease-associated community in clinically healthy individuals, suggesting that it creates an at-risk-for-harm environment that is primed for a future ecological catastrophe.

Kosmotoga pacifica sp. nov., a thermophilic chemoorganoheterotrophic bacterium isolated from an East Pacific hydrothermal sediment.

A novel strictly anaerobic thermophilic heterotrophic bacterium, strain SLHLJ1(T), was isolated from a Pacific hydrothermal sediment. Cells were Gram-negative coccobacilli (approximately 1.0 × 0.6 µm) with a toga. It grew at temperatures between 33 and 78 °C (optimum 70 °C). Elemental sulphur and L-cystine stimulated its growth. It contained C16:0, C16:1 ω11c, C18:0 and C18:1 ω9c as major fatty acids (>5%), 3 phospholipids and 2 glycolipids as polar lipids. Its DNA G+C content was 43.7 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed strain SLHLJ1(T) within the family Thermotogaceae. The novel isolate was most closely related to Kosmotoga arenicorallina (97.93 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), K. olearia (92.43%) and K. shengliensis (92.17 %). On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic comparisons with its closest relatives, we propose its assignment to a novel species of the genus Kosmotoga. The name Kosmotoga pacifica sp. nov. is proposed with strain SLHLJ1(T) (=DSM 26965(T) = JCM 19180(T) = UBOCC 3254(T)) as the type species.

Drivers of microbial community composition in mesophilic and thermophilic temperature-phased anaerobic digestion pre-treatment reactors.

Temperature-phased anaerobic digestion (TPAD) is an emerging technology that facilitates improved performance and pathogen destruction in anaerobic sewage sludge digestion by optimising conditions for 1) hydrolytic and acidogenic organisms in a first-stage/pre-treatment reactor and then 2) methogenic populations in a second stage reactor. Pre-treatment reactors are typically operated at 55-65 °C and as such select for thermophilic bacterial communities. However, details of key microbial populations in hydrolytic communities and links to functionality are very limited. In this study, experimental thermophilic pre-treatment (TP) and control mesophilic pre-treatment (MP) reactors were operated as first-stages of TPAD systems treating activated sludge for 340 days. The TP system was operated sequentially at 50, 60 and 65 °C, while the MP rector was held at 35 °C for the entire period. The composition of microbial communities associated with the MP and TP pre-treatment reactors was characterised weekly using terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) supported by clone library sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. The outcomes of this approach were confirmed using 454 pyrosequencing of gene amplicons and fluorescence in-situ hybridisation (FISH). TP associated bacterial communities were dominated by populations affiliated to the Firmicutes, Thermotogae, Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi. In particular there was a progression from Thermotogae to Lutispora and Coprothermobacter and diversity decreased as temperature and hydrolysis performance increased. While change in the composition of TP associated bacterial communities was attributable to temperature, that of MP associated bacterial communities was related to the composition of the incoming feed. This study determined processes driving the dynamics of key microbial populations that are correlated with an enhanced hydrolytic functionality of the TPAD system.

Microbial community structure and dynamics in two-stage vs single-stage thermophilic anaerobic digestion of mixed swine slurry and market bio-waste.

The microbial community of a thermophilic two-stage process was monitored during two-months operation and compared to a conventional single-stage process. Qualitative and quantitative microbial dynamics were analysed by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) and real-time PCR techniques, respectively. The bacterial community was dominated by heat-shock resistant, spore-forming clostridia in the two-stage process, whereas a more diverse and dynamic community (Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Synergistes) was observed in the single-stage process. A significant evolution of bacterial community occurred over time in the acidogenic phase of the two-phase process with the selection of few dominant species associated to stable hydrogen production. The archaeal community, dominated by the acetoclastic Methanosarcinales in both methanogen reactors, showed a significant diversity change in the single-stage process after a period of adaptation to the feeding conditions, compared to a constant stability in the methanogenic reactor of the two-stage process. The more diverse and dynamic bacterial and archaeal community of single-stage process compared to the two-stage process accounted for the best degradation activity, and consequently the best performance, in this reactor. The microbiological perspective proved a useful tool for a better understanding and comparison of anaerobic digestion processes.

Biological sulfate reduction in the acidogenic phase of anaerobic digestion under dissimilatory Fe (III)--reducing conditions.

In this study, a novel approach was developed for sulfate - containing wastewater treatment via dosing Fe2O3 in a two - stage anaerobic reactor (A1, S1). The addition of Fe2O3 in its second stage i.e. acidogenic sulfate-reducing reactor (S1) resulted in microbial reduction of Fe (III), which significantly enhanced the biological sulfate reduction. In reactor S1, increasing influent sulfate concentration to 1400 mg/L resulted in a higher COD removal (27.3%) and sulfate reduction (57.9%). In the reference reactor without using Fe2O3 (S2), the COD and sulfate removal were 15.6% and 29%, respectively. The combined performance of the two-stage anaerobic reactor (A1, S1) also showed a higher COD removal of 74.2%. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and phylogenetic analysis showed that the dominant bacteria with high similarity to IRB species as well as sulfate reducer Desulfovibrio and acidogenic bacteria (AB) were enriched in S1. Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) analysis presented a higher proportion of sulfate reducer Desulfovibrio marrakechensis and Fe (III) reducer Iron-reducing bacteria HN54 in S1.

The phylum Synergistetes in gingivitis and necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis.

The clinical manifestation of necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (NUG) is distinct from that of common gingivitis in that it is characterized by local necrosis of the gingival tissues, rapid onset, pain and extensive bleeding. The phylum Synergistetes is a novel bacterial phylum consisting of Gram-negative anaerobes, with evidence of presence in biofilms associated with periodontal and endodontic infections. To date, the involvement of members of this phylum in NUG has not been investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the presence and levels of known human oral Synergistetes bacterial clusters in dental plaque from patients with NUG and compare them with those found in gingivitis. Marginal dental plaque samples from 21 NUG and 21 gingivitis patients were analysed quantitatively by fluorescent in situ hybridization and microscopy for members of two oral Synergistetes clusters (A and B) and for Jonquetella anthropi. Synergistetes cluster A bacteria were detected in all samples but at higher levels (9.4-fold) and proportions (2.5-fold) in NUG patients than in gingivitis patients. However, with regard to Synergistetes cluster B bacteria, there were no differences between NUG and gingivitis patients. J. anthropi was detected in only half of the samples and at lower levels than the other taxa. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that Synergistetes cluster A bacteria, but not cluster B bacteria or J. anthropi, are more strongly associated with NUG than with gingivitis.

Detection of periodontal bacteria in thrombi of patients with acute myocardial infarction by polymerase chain reaction.

BACKGROUNDS: Numerous reports have demonstrated that periodontal bacteria are present in plaques from atherosclerotic arteries. Although periodontitis has recently been recognized as a risk factor for coronary artery disease, the direct relationship between periodontal bacteria and coronary artery disease has not yet been clarified. It has been suggested that these bacteria might contribute to inflammation and plaque instability. We assumed that if periodontal bacteria induce inflammation of plaque, the bacteria would be released into the bloodstream when vulnerable plaque ruptures. To determine whether periodontal bacteria are present in thrombi at the site of acute myocardial infarction, we tried to detect periodontal bacteria in thrombi of patients with acute myocardial infarction by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). METHODS: We studied 81 consecutive adults with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). All patients underwent removal of thrombus with aspiration catheters at the beginning of percutaneous coronary intervention, and a small sample of thrombus was obtained for PCR. RESULTS: The detection rates of periodontal bacteria by PCR were 19.7% for Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, 3.4% for Porphyromonas gingivalis, and 2.3% for Treponema denticola. CONCLUSIONS: Three species of periodontal bacteria were detected in the thrombi of patients with acute myocardial infarction. This raises the possibility that such bacteria are latently present in plaque and also suggests that these bacteria might have a role in plaque inflammation and instability.

Halanaerobacter jeridensis sp. nov., isolated from a hypersaline lake.

An obligatory anaerobic, moderately halophilic bacterium, designated strain CEJFG43(T), was isolated from a sample of sediment collected below the salt crust on the hypersaline El Jerid lake, in southern Tunisia. The cells of this novel strain were Gram-staining-negative, non-sporulating, motile, short rods. They grew in media with 6-30% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 15%), at 20-60 °C (optimum 45 °C) and at pH 5.5-9.5 (optimum pH 8.3). The micro-organism fermented glucose, fructose, ribose, raffinose, galactose, mannose, sucrose, maltose, xylose, mannitol, pyruvate and glycerol. The products of glucose fermentation were lactate, ethanol, acetate, H(2) and CO(2). The genomic G+C DNA content of strain CEJFG43(T) was 33.3 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain CEJFG43(T) belonged in the genus Halanaerobacter and was most closely related to Halanaerobacter lacunarum DSM 6640(T) (95.3% gene sequence similarity) and Halanaerobacter chitinivorans DSM 9569(T) (95.3%). The predominant cellular fatty acids were non-branched (C(16:0) and C(16:1)). Based on the phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence, strain CEJFG43(T) represents a novel species in the genus Halanaerobacter for which the name Halanaerobacter jeridensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CEJFG43(T) ( = DSM 23230(T) = JCM 16696(T)).