Serological Studies of Peptostreptococci Using an Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test

Abstract

Members of the genus Peptostreptococcus are frequent isolates from periodontal lesions. A study was undertaken for determination of the serological relationships of oral and non-oral strains of several species of this genus. Eighty-nine strains of peptostreptococci representing seven species were tested by means of an indirect fluorescent antibody technique (IFA), with rabbit antisera to Peptostreptococcus anaerobius ATCC 27337, Peptostreptococcus micros VPI 2618-A, and Peptostreptococcus productus ATCC 27340. Each antiserum showed positive fluorescence when reacted with homologous cells. When anti-P. micros VPI 2618-A serum was added to suspensions of P. micros ATCC 33270 and clinical isolates of P. micros in the IFA, positive fluorescence was observed to a titer of 1:64 with 26 out of 29 strains. Positive fluorescence was also seen when P. anaerobius VPI 5737 and clinical isolates of P. anaerobius were tested with anti-P. anaerobius ATCC 27337 serum; a titer of at least 1 :64 was observed in 10 out of 14 strains. These results support the presence of two serological groups of P. anaerobius, rabbit anti-P. anaerobius ATCC 27337 serum reacting with Group II organisms. No interspecies cross-reactivity was observed except with four strains of Peptostreptococcus magnus, which reacted with several antisera as well as with normal rabbit serum and the saline controls. These results indicate that rabbit antisera and the use of an IFA are useful in the identification of P. anaerobius and P. micros from oral lesions.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Babcock, J.B. (1979): Tyrosine Degradation in Presumptive Identification of Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, J Clin Microbiol 9 :358-361.

Bann, A.N. ; Kung, P.C.Y. ; and Hayashi, J.A. (1966): Chemical Composition and Serological Analysis of the Cell Wall of Peptostreptococcus, J Bacteriol 91:1672-1676.

Dzink, J.L. ; Socransky, S.S. ; and Haffajee, A.D. (1988): The Predominant Cultivable Microbiota of Active and Inactive Lesions of Destructive Periodontal Diseases, J Clin Periodontol 15:316-323.

Ezaki, T. ; Yamamoto, N. ; Ninomiya, K. ; Suzuki, S. ; and Yabuuchi, E. (1983): Transfer of Peptococcus indolicus, Peptococcus asaccharolyticus, Peptococcus prevotii and Peptococcus magnus to the Genus Peptostreptococcus and Proposal of Peptostreptococcus tetradius sp. nov., Int J System Bacteriol 33 :683-698.

Graham, M.B. and Falkler, W.A., Jr. (1978): Serological Reactions of the Genus Peptostreptococcus, J Clin Microbiol 7 :385-388.

Graham, M.B. and Falkler, W.A., Jr. (1979): Extractable Antigen Shared by Peptostreptococcus anaerobius Strains, J Clin Microbiol 9:507-510.

Graham, M.B. ; Falkler, W.A., Jr. ; Spiegel, C.A. ; Hay-Duk, S.W. ; and Dober, L.G. (1982): Antibody Reactive with Peptostreptococcus micros in the Sera of Patients with Periodontal Disease, J Clin Microbiol 16:395-397.

Graves, M.H. ; Morello, J.A. ; and Kocka, F.E. (1974): Sodium Polyanethol Sulfonate Sensitivity of Anaerobic Cocci, Appl Microbiol 27:1131-1133.

Holdeman, L.V. ; Cato, E.P. ; and Moore, W.E.C. (Eds.) ( 1977): Anaerobe Laboratory Manual, 4th ed, Blacksburg, VA: Anaerobe Laboratory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pp. 13-18.

10.

Kluyver, A.J. and Van Neil, C.B. (1936): Prospects for a Natural Classification of Bacteria , Zentrable Bakteriol-Parasilenkd Infectionskr Hyg Abt II 94:369-403.

11.

Lambert, M.A. and Armfield, A.Y. (1979): Differentiation of Peptococcus and Peptostreptococcus by Gas-Liquid Chromatography of Cellular Fatty Acids and Metabolic Products , J Clin Microbiol 10:464-476.

12.

Markowitz, A. and Lerner, A.M. (1977): Differentiation of Several Isolates of Peptococcus magnus by Counterimmunoelectrophoresis, Infect Immun 16:152-154.

13.

Moore, W.E.C. ; Holdeman, L.V. ; Cato, E.P. ; Smibert, R.M. ; Burmeister, J.A. ; Palcanis, K.G. ; and Ranney, R.R. (1985): Comparative Bacteriology of Juvenile Periodontitis , Infect Immun 48:507-519.

14.

Moore, L.V.H. ; Johnson, J.L. ; and Moore, W.E.C. (1984): Peptostreptococcus, In: Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Vol. 2., P.H. Sneath , N.S. Mair , M.E. Sharpe , and J.C. Holt , Eds., Baltimore, MD: The Williams and Wilkins Co., pp. 1083-1092.

15.

Natvig, H. (1905): Bakeriologische Verhaltnesse in weiblichen Genitalsekreten, Erste Metheilung. Studien über Streptokokken der weiblichen Genitalien in Partus and Puerperium, Arch Gynaekol ( Berlin) 76:701-858.

16.

Porschen, R.K. and Spaulding, E.H. (1974): Fluorescent Antibody Study of Gram-positive Anaerobic Cocci, Appl Microbiol 28:851-855.

17.

Prevot, A.R. (1933): Etudes de systematique bacterienne. I. Lois generalis. II. Cocci anaerobics, Ann Sci Nat 15:230-260.

18.

Smith, L.D.S. (1957): Genus Peptostreptococcus, Kluyver and van Niel . In: Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 7th ed., R.S. Breed , R.G.E. Murray , and N.R. Smith , Eds., Baltimore, MD: The Williams and Wilkins Co., pp. 533-541.

19.

Stone, M.L. (1940): Studies on the Anaerobic Streptococcus, J Bacteriol 39:559-582.

20.

Wells, C.L. and Field, C.R. (1976): Long Chain Fatty Acids of Peptococci and Peptostreptococci , J Clin Microbiol 4:515-521.

21.

Wideman, P.A. ; Vargo, V.L. ; Citronbaum, D. ; and Fine-Gold, S.M. (1976): Evaluation of the Sodium Polyanethol Sulfonate Disk Test for the Identification of Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, J Clin Microbiol 4:330-333.

22.

Wong, M. ; Catena, A. ; and Hadley, W.K. (1980): Antigenic Relationships and Rapid Identification of Peptostreptococcus Species, J Clin Microbiol 11:515-521.

23.

Wren, M.W.D. ; Eldon, C.P. ; and Dakia, G.H. (1977): Novobiocin and the Differentiation of Peptococci and Peptostreptococci, J Clin Pathol 30:620-622.