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PubMedDate not supplied

Copper accumulation in actinomyces druses during endometritis after long-term use of an intrauterine contraceptive device.

A 32-year-old woman carried a copper intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) or intrauterine pessar (IAP) for more than 5 years. She had acyclic menstrual bleedings and underwent a corpus abrasio after explantation of IUCD. The histological study of paraffin sections showed an actinomycotic endometritis with brown to black deposits in or around typical actinomyces druses, but there was no carcinoma. The electron microscopic study of these accumulations by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) in TEM demonstrated copper deposits in the shell and matrix of these druses as well as inside the bacteria. With scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX), the electron-dense accumulations revealed high signals for copper and sulfur, but also of phosphorus and oxygen in a lower extent. This copper accumulation is discussed as an active uptake and concentration by these actinomyces bacteria.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed1996

Severe infection due to Actinomyces bernardiae: case report.

We describe a patient with a serious urinary tract infection due to Actinomyces bernardiae (formerly classified as CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta] fermentative coryneform group 2). Our patient had long-standing bladder dysfunction and developed hydroureteronephrosis, renal lithiasis, perirenal abscesses, and septicemia. A. bernardiae is distinct from Actinomyces pyogenes and several CDC coryneform groups.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed2002

Actinomyces species, streptococci, and Enterococcus faecalis in primary root canal infections.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of Actinomyces species, streptococci, and Enterococcus faecalis in primary root canal infections by using a molecular genetic method. Samples were obtained from 53 infected teeth, of which 27 cases were diagnosed as acute periradicular abscesses. DNA was extracted to evaluate the occurrence of 13 bacterial species by using whole genomic DNA probes and checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization. Polymerase chain reaction using an ubiquitous bacterial primer was undertaken to check the presence of bacterial DNA in clinical samples. All root canal samples contained bacteria as demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction. The checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization assay allowed the detection of streptococci in 22.6% of the samples, Actinomyces species in 9.4%, and E. faecalis in 7.5%. The most prevalent species were members of the Streptococcus anginosus group. With regard to the asymptomatic lesions, the most prevalent species were S. intermedius (11.5% of the cases), E. faecalis (11.5%), and S. anginosus (7.7%). S. constellatus was the most prevalent species in pus samples (25.9% of the cases). The other most prevalent species in abscessed teeth were A. gerencseriae (14.8%), S. gordonii (11.1%), S. intermedius (11.1%), A. israelii (7.4%), S. anginosus (7.4%), and S. sanguis (7.4%). S. constellatus was the only species positively associated with acute periradicular abscess (p < 0.01).

Actinomyces↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pyogenic granuloma associated with chronic Actinomyces canaliculitis.

A case of chronic Actinomyces canaliculitis with associated pyogenic granuloma formation and bloody tears is described. Although Actinomyces is a well-known cause of canaliculitis, the authors are not aware that it has been reported in association with pyogenic granulomas.

Actinomyces↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A rare case of primary actinomycosis of the breast caused by Actinomyces viscosus: diagnosis by fine-needle aspiration cytology under ultrasound guidance.

We report the case of a 27-year-old woman with primary actinomycosis of the breast. Diagnosis was established by culture examination of specimen recovered by fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) under ultrasound guidance. To our knowledge, this is the first description in the literature of a case of primary actinomycosis of the breast caused by Actinomyces viscosus. Twenty-nine previous cases of primary actinomycosis of the breast have been published, but these were caused by the more common species Actinomyces israelii. Targeted antibiotic therapy did not ameliorate the condition, thus drainage and excision of the mass were carried out. No other medical therapy was administered. Six years after surgery, no recurrence has been observed on both ultrasonographic and mammographic examinations.

Actinomyces viscosus↗
PubMed1996

Catabolic pathway for aerobic degradation of lactate by Actinomyces naeslundii.

The aerobic metabolism of lactate by oral Actinomyces was studied. Six of 7 strains of Actinomyces naeslundii increased their growth in the presence of lactate under aerobic conditions. Washed cells grown on lactate aerobically degraded lactate and pyruvate to acetate with a concomitant consumption of oxygen. In the presence of catalase, the molar ratios of oxygen consumed to acetate produced were 1 for lactate degradation and 0.5 for pyruvate degradation. The enzymatic activities found in cell extracts revealed that lactate could be converted to pyruvate by NAD-independent lactate dehydrogenase (iLDH) and further to acetyl CoA by pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH). The acetyl CoA formed could be metabolized into acetate by phosphotransacetylase (PTA) and acetate kinase (AK) with the formation of ATP. These results indicate that A. naeslundii metabolizes lactate into acetate by the sequential enzymatic reactions iLDH, PDH, PTA and AK and that hydrogens produced by iLDH and PDH are transferred to oxygen. The activity of lactate degradation and oxygen consumption may modify the environmental conditions of dental plaque.

Acetate Kinase↗
PubMed1998

Actinomyces serovar WVA963 coaggregation-defective mutant strain PK2407 secretes lactose-sensitive adhesin that binds to coaggregation partner Streptococcus oralis 34.

Actinomyces serovar WVA963 strain PK1259 mediates intergeneric coaggregation with several oral streptococci. These lactose-inhibitable coaggregations appear to involve a 95-kDa putative actinomyces adhesin in complex with type 2 fimbriae. A coaggregation-defective strain PK2407 lacking type 2 fimbriae synthesizes the putative adhesin but appears unable to present it properly on its surface. Antiserum was raised against surface sonicates of PK2407 and was absorbed with a different coaggregation-defective mutant PK3092 that synthesizes type 2 fimbriae but no adhesin. This absorbed antiserum specifically blocked lactose-inhibitable coaggregation of wild-type strain PK1259 and Streptococcus oralis 34 and identified a 95-kDa protein in ammonium sulfate precipitates of culture supernatant of the coaggregation-defective mutant PK2407. The 95-kDa secreted protein was bound to the streptococcal partner cells and to lactose-agarose affinity beads and was released by lactose from both the affinity beads and partner, indicating that the secreted and precipitated protein is biochemically active and may mediate coaggregation with streptococci.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed1998

Ribotype diversity of Actinomyces with similar intraoral tropism but different types of N-acetyl-beta-D-galactosamine binding specificity.

Sixty-three isolates of Actinomyces naeslundii genospecies 1 and 2 and Actinomyces odontolyticus from three subjects clustered into 22 ribotypes. Unique ribotypes were found in the subjects and within individual tissue sites (bucca, tooth and tongue). A odontolyticus ribotypes shared tongue-specific binding properties, while those of genospecies 1 and 2 from buccal and tooth surfaces shared different types of N-acetyl-beta-D-galactosamine binding specificity.

Acetylgalactosamine↗
PubMed2004

Genotypic diversity of oral Actinomyces naeslundii genospecies 1 and 2 in caries-active preschool children.

A total of 991 isolates of Actinomyces naeslundii were obtained from sound approximal tooth sites in either caries-active (n = 35) or caries-free (n = 20) preschool children. From this group of isolates, 101 strains were chosen to study the genotypic diversity of A. naeslundii genospecies 1 (n = 30), catalase-positive (n = 30), and catalase-negative genospecies 2 (n = 41). Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), with a pair of primers targeting the 16S ribosome RNA gene (16S rDNA), and MnlI digestion together with randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) with eight arbitrary, single 10-mer primers were performed to generate genetic profiles of selected Actinomyces isolates. The hierarchic relationships of genetic profiles were finally analyzed using computerized dendrograms. There was no significant difference in the prevalence rates and proportions of either genospecies 1 or 2 between the caries-free and caries-active groups, although a higher prevalence of genospecies 2 was noted in the total population. Dendrogram analyses of the 16S rDNA PCR-RFLP profiles revealed that all strains belonging to A. naeslundii genospecies 1 could be subgrouped into three genotypes (T7, T18, and T19), with a single predominant genotype, T18 (27/30). Catalase-positive strains for genospecies 2 fell into three subtypes (T4, T7, and T17), whereas the catalase-negative counterparts were distributed amongst 16 subtypes. No specific genotype was significantly associated with caries activity. We conclude that heterogeneous subgroups of A. naeslundii genospecies 1 and 2, particularly the latter, are the constituent flora of dental plaque in children and may contribute to the pathogenesis of childhood caries.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed1998

Report of a case of pyogenic arthritis associated with Actinomyces pyogenes in a chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica).

A case of pyogenic arthritis associated to an Actinomyces pyogenes infection in a chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) is described. The animal was a 5-year-old female that had been seen alone in a wooded area close to a small town in November 1995, and was lame on one front limb. One month later, it was seen again in a nearby area. Its lameness had worsened and it knuckled on both front limbs while eating. Its nutrition status had worsened considerably. On 8 January 1996 the animal was found dead. It was cachectic, its metatarsal/metacarpal-digital joints were all swollen and its hoofs were longer than normal. The microbiological study of the samples obtained showed a large number of beta-haemolytic colonies subsequently identified as Actinomyces pyogenes. Obligate anaerobic bacteria were not isolated from the samples.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed1997

Characterization of monoclonal antibodies for rapid identification of Actinomyces naeslundii in clinical samples.

The purpose of this study was to generate highly specific serological reagents for the quantitative identification of Actinomyces naeslundii in clinical samples, in particular dental plaque. Balb/c mice were immunized with pasteurized human A. naeslundii strains representing different genospecies and serotypes. Ten hybrid cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies reactive with A. naeslundii were isolated and characterized. Antibody specificity was determined by indirect immunofluo-rescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using strains from 59 species and by immunofluorescence analyses of supragingival plaque from 10 gingivitis patients. Nine monoclonal antibodies reacted selectively with A. naeslundii, whereas one additionally bound to Actinomyces israelii. They recognized at least nine different epitopes with characteristic expression patterns among the test strains. Six clusters of antigenically unique or closely related strains could be distinguished. Clusters 1, 4, and 5 represented by 12, 18, and 5 strains, respectively, comprised over 80% of the A. naeslundii strains tested. All reference strains for genospecies 1 grouped with cluster 1. Strains associated with genospecies 2 fell into clusters 4 and 5. Tests with mutant strains indicated that three monoclonal antibodies recognize type 2 and one type 1 fimbriae of genospecies 2. Only four isolates grouped with clusters 2 and 3 characterized by the expression of cluster-specific antigens. Interestingly, cluster 2 and 3 bacteria were markedly more abundant in vivo than indicated by their sparse representation in our strain collection. Overall, all but one of the new monoclonal antibodies should prove of value for the serological classification and rapid quantitative determination of A. naeslundii in clinical samples.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed1997

Protein degradation by Prevotella intermedia and Actinomyces meyeri supports the growth of non-protein-cleaving oral bacteria in serum.

The proteolytic activities of oral bacteria are thought to play an important role in the aetiology of dental abscesses. Bacteria-derived proteases may contribute to tissue destruction, and are likely to impair host defence by degrading immunoglobulins and complement. Degraded periodontal tissue and tissue fluid are likely to constitute essential sources of nutrients in the abscess. Tissue fluid, which is derived from serum, is rich in protein and poor in carbohydrate, suggesting that breakdown of protein and fermentation of amino acids is a crucial step to generate energy for growth of the microflora. The number of oral bacterial species that perform hydrolytic cleavage of protein into polypeptides, the first step in protein degradation, is relatively small compared to the large majority of peptidase-producing species. In this study, we therefore investigated the growth-promoting effect of proteinase-producing species like Prevotella intermedia and Actinomyces meyeri on the growth of some non-proteinase producing bacteria in mixed cultures. We used serum as a substitute for the supposed natural substrate of the abscess microflora. The breakdown of serum proteins was investigated using capillary electrophoresis. Poor growth was found in mono- and mixed cultures of non-proteinase producing species Eubacterium lentum, Fusobacterium nucleatum. Peptostreptococcus micros, and Streptococcus intermedius. The presence of P. intermedia in mixed cultures strongly enhanced growth of these 4 species, according to the hypothesis that the growth of the mixed cultures was peptide-limited. The enhanced growth of P. intermedia in pronase-digested serum indicated peptide-limited growth of this organism in serum, despite its production of proteinase. We found that growth of monocultures of Actinomyces meyeri was poor. In contrast, A. meyeri grew well in mixed cultures and its presence stimulated growth of F. nucleatum and P. micros, suggesting a synergistic relationship. The growth of mono- and mixed cultures was investigated using one representative strain of each species. Thus, there is a small risk of having selected unique strains. Proteinase inhibitors reduced the growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella nigrescens, and P. intermedia in trypticase peptone-yeast extract medium with, and without, IgG. Our study indicated that proteinase-producing organisms play a key role in mixed cultures of oral bacteria in human serum by providing polypeptides for growth. This may explain their association with dental abscesses.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed1984

Sucrase and maltase activities in supragingival dental plaque in humans of streptococcal, actinomyces and lactobacilli species.

20 reference strains and 72 isolated strains from dental plaque of streptococci, actinomyces, and lactobacilli species were examined for sucrase and maltase activities. The type of sucrase in the different strains was determined by use of the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, acarbose. The enzyme activities were determined as formation of monosaccharide, and quantitated spectrophotometrically. Although variations occurred in enzyme activities between reference and isolated strains, the same general pattern was noticed. Strains of Streptococcus mutans and S. salivarius showed regularly the highest sucrase activities, followed by strains of Actinomyces viscosus and A. naeslundii. Most lactobacilli belonged to the bacteria with low sucrase activity like S. sanguis and S. mitior. In some lactobacilli strains, however, a high sucrase activity was observed. The level of sucrase activity in S. mutans strains was dependent on biotype/serotype, as strains of biotype V/serotype e showed high activities, biotypes I and IV corresponding to serotypes c, f, and d showed intermediate activity, and biotype III/serotype a always showed low activity. In most of the strains the sucrases were composed of enzymes with specificity against both alpha-glucosidic linkage and beta-fructosidic linkage of the sucrose molecule, but in varying ratios. In all species, exept S. sanguis and S. mitior, lower maltase than sucrase activity was observed, but even in the two species mentioned the maltase activities were relatively low. On the basis of observations of selected reference strains in every species examined both sucrases and maltases are to some extent inducible.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed1997

Cell surface structures of Actinomyces israelii.

Actinomyces israelii is the most common cause of human actinomycosis, a chronic granulomatous infection. Periapical actinomycosis involving A. israelii has been identified as an important cause of failure of conventional endodontic treatment. Structures on the bacterial cell surface have been implicated in the pathogenicity of Actinomyces. In this study the ultrastructure of A. israelii was investigated by electron microscopy. Negatively stained preparations revealed the presence of hairlike fimbriae protruding through a thick surface coat on some species, whilst thin sectioning disclosed a Gram-positive cell wall surrounded by a fuzzy outer coat. These structures may be important for the pathogenicity of A. israelii.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed1991

Isolation of a neuraminidase gene from Actinomyces viscosus T14V.

A genomic library of Actinomyces viscosus T14V DNA in lambda gt11 was screened for expression of neuraminidase activities. Four recombinant clones were detected that gave blue fluorescence upon incubation with a fluorogenic substrate, 2'-(4-methylumbelliferyl)-alpha-D-N-acetylneuraminic acid. Of these, two were identical, and all of the neuraminidase-positive clones shared a common 3.4-kbp DNA region. Expression of the enzyme activities in Escherichia coli carrying the cloned DNA was independent of the lacZ promoter of the vector. Maxicell analysis revealed that the 3.4-kbp DNA insert directed synthesis of a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 100,000 Da. The protein from cell extracts of E. coli clones migrated as a single band that stained for enzyme activity after electrophoresis in a nondissociating polyacrylamide gel. Moreover, human erythrocytes incubated previously with cell lysates from neuraminidase-positive E. coli were hemagglutinated by Actinomyces spp. The enzyme expressed by E. coli was active on substrates containing alpha-2,3 and alpha-2,6 ketosidic linked sialyl residues. Similar substrate specificities were obtained for both the extracellular and cell-associated neuraminidases from A. viscosus T14V. The 3.4-kbp insert hybridized to DNA fragments in a Southern blot containing A. viscosus T14V chromosomal DNA that had been digested with various restriction endonucleases. Data from hybridization studies show that A. viscosus T14V contains a single copy of the neuraminidase gene.

Actinomyces viscosus↗
PubMed2006

Isolation and expression of the lysis genes of Actinomyces naeslundii phage Av-1.

Like most gram-positive oral bacteria, Actinomyces naeslundii is resistant to salivary lysozyme and to most other lytic enzymes. We are interested in studying the lysins of phages of this important oral bacterium as potential diagnostic and therapeutic agents. To identify the Actinomyces phage genes encoding these species-specific enzymes in Escherichia coli, we constructed a new cloning vector, pAD330, that can be used to enrich for and isolate phage holin genes, which are located adjacent to the lysin genes in most phage genomes. Cloned holin insert sequences were used to design sequencing primers to identify nearby lysin genes by using whole phage DNA as the template. From partial digestions of A. naeslundii phage Av-1 genomic DNA we were able to clone, in independent experiments, inserts that complemented the defective lambda holin in pAD330, as evidenced by extensive lysis after thermal induction. The DNA sequence of the inserts in these plasmids revealed that both contained the complete lysis region of Av-1, which is comprised of two holin-like genes, designated holA and holB, and an endolysin gene, designated lysA. We were able to subclone and express these genes and determine some of the functional properties of their gene products.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed1968

Quantitative analysis of Actinomyces cell walls.

Quantitative data on the amino acid composition of cell walls of five species of Actinomyces were obtained by using a Beckman-Spinco amino acid analyzer. The major amino acids in A. israelii, A. naeslundii, A. eriksonii, and A. bovis species included alanine, glutamic acid, lysine, aspartic acid, and ornithine, as reported by previous workers, whereas A. propionicus contained diaminopimelic acid. Other amino acids, including glycine, valine, leucine, proline, isoleucine, and threonine, were present in at least some of the walls in quantities equal to or slightly less than that of lysine. This raised the question of whether these may represent cross-links in the peptidoglycan or other cell wall structural components or whether the wall preparations contained nonpeptidoglycan material despite the use of electron microscopy as a standard of purity; further work is required to supply the answer. The quantitative data furnish relative molar concentrations of amino acids, which can provide definitive identification of some of the species and differentiation of Actinomyces from other members of the Actinomycetales and from morphologically similar genera such as Corynebacterium and Propionibacterium.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed1969

Predominant catalase-negative soil bacteria. II. Occurrence and characterization of Actinomyces humiferus, sp. N.

A microorganism resembling an Actinomyces species was found to be a numerically predominant inhabitant of various organically rich soils. This organism forms a hyphal-like structure with true branching that fragments into gram-positive diphtheroid and coccoid elements. Its cells ferment carbohydrates and contain both lysine and ornithine as the major basic amino acids of the cell wall. It is catalase-negative, microaerophilic to aerobic, and sensitive to lysozyme, and it is dependent on an organic nitrogen source and incubation at 30 C for optimum growth. Based on these characteristics, a new species, Actinomyces humiferus, is proposed. The ecological and medical implications of a large soil population of this microorganism are discussed.

Actinomyces↗