Actinomadura Madurae Research Articles

Isolation and structure elucidation of novel neuronal cell protecting substances, carbazomadurins A and B produced by Actinomadura madurae.

Isolation and structure elucidation of novel neuronal cell protecting substances, carbazomadurins A and B produced by Actinomadura madurae.

Mycetomas in Mali: causative agents and geographic distribution.

Although Mali is situated in the African zone endemic for mycetomas, no report has been published on the characteristics of the disease in this country. We report a series of 54 cases observed in Bamako. The causative agents were Madurella mycetomatis in 20 patients, Leptosphaeria sp. in one patients, Actinomadura madurae in 12 patients, A. pelletieri in 15 patients, and Streptomyces somaliensis in three patients. In this series, the observed geographic distribution of the causative agents was in agreement with data on the causative agents and their geographic distribution in neighboring countries, and with those suggesting a relationship between the type of infectious agent and the annual rainfall.

“Madura foot” caused by actinomadura madurae

“Madura foot” caused by actinomadura madurae

Mycetomas in northern Yemen: identification of causative organisms and epidemiologic considerations.

Fifteen cases of mycetomas from four locations in northern Yemen were studied. On the basis of morphologic characteristics and staining properties of the granules in discharges from the draining sinus tracts (a narrow elongated cavity that extends from a focus of suppuration or other inflammatory softening to a free surface and through which pus discharges) in the affected appendages and in tissue sections, three causative organisms were identified: Streptomyces somaliensis, Actinomadura madurae, and Madurella mycetomatis. Because of the similarity in the climate and the causative organisms, northern Yemen can be considered as being in the same endemic area for mycetomas as eastern Africa.

Comparison of Species Ditribution and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Aerobic Actinomycetes from Clinical Specimens

To compare the species distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of aerobic actinomycetes, we evaluated 366 isolates referred to the Centers for Disease Control from October 1985 through February 1988. We used conventional biochemical tests to identify the various species. Four species accounted for 191 (52%) of aerobic actinomycete isolates: Nocardia asteroides (98 isolates), Actinomadura madurae (42 isolates), Streptomyces griseus (28 isolates), and Nocardia brasiliensis (23 isolates). Sputum and wounds were the most common sources. No isolate was resistant to amikacin, no N. brasiliensis isolate was resistant to sulfamethoxazole or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and no A. madurae isolate was resistant to ceftriaxone or imipenem. In summary, our findings show that unusual species of aerobic actinomycetes can cause infection, colonization, or both and that antimicrobial resistance varies markedly by species.

Simaomicin (LL-D42067), a novel antibiotic from actinomadura madurae. I. Taxonomy, fermentation and biological activity.

A new antibacterial antibiotic, designated simaomicin alpha (LL-D42067 alpha) was isolated from the fermentation broth of an actinomycete strain. Based on cultural, physiological, morphological and chemical characteristics, culture LL-D42067 was identified as a new subspecies of Actinomadura madurae. Simaomicin alpha demonstrated potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria and was active in vivo against a variety of Eimeria species causing coccidiosis in chickens.

Histological and microbiological aspects of actinomycetoma cases in Venezuela.

A ten year (1976-1986) review study of cases of Actinomycetoma in Venezuela was made through personal interview and clinical examinations, analysis of medical records of patients with actinomycetoma, histological studies of biopsy samples, as well as microbiological studies of isolates strain, also through out personal interviews with researchers and dermatologists who were sources of information on mycetoma cases. A total of 47 cases were recorded. As etiologic agent Actinomadura madurae was found in 20 cases - (42.5%), Nocardia brasiliensis in 13 cases (27.6%), Nocardia spp 7 cases (14.8%), Streptomyces somaliensis in 4 cases (8.5%), N. asteroides in 2 cases (4.2%) and N. otitidis caviarum, (N. caviae) in 1 case (2.1%). Most of the reported cases involved individuals living and working in rural areas, mostly males who outnumber females 4:1. The patients were 18 to 80 years old. A. madurae was reported as the most frequent etiologic agent. Most of the clinical cases were seen when the disease was well established. Twenty four of the forty seven cases reported were observed in Lara State, which represents a 51.0% of all the cases studied.

Biotyping of aerobic actinomycetes by modified killer system.

Forty-four yeasts belonging to the genera Pichia, Candida, Saccharomyces and Kluyveromyces were tested for their potential killer effect on 13 aerobic actinomycetes (6 Nocardia asteroides, 1 N. brasiliensis, 1 N. caviae and 5 Actinomadura madurae). Only a few yeast strains did not display any killer activity against the aerobic actinomycetes studied, thus confirming that the killer phenomenon is widespread among microorganisms. For epidemiological purposes, a killer system was developed. According to their susceptibility to the 9 killer yeasts chosen, it was possible to differentiate the Nocardia and Actinomadura isolates into biotypes. Fitting conditions of the killer system to potential sensitive microorganisms with different characteristics of growth are also discussed.

Identification of a common immunodominant protein in culture filtrates of three Nocardia species and use in etiologic diagnosis of mycetoma

Diagnosis of systemic nocardiosis has been hampered by difficulty in the rapid isolation and identification of the organism and by the frequent need for invasive biopsies. We show that a 55,000-Mr protein previously found in Nocardia asteroides is also present in N. brasiliensis and N. caviae culture filtrates. We also used the antigen in a dot blot assay to identify patients infected with N. brasiliensis. Sera from patients with mycetoma secondary to N. brasiliensis (n = 6) or Actinomadura madurae (n = 2) and 10 hospitalized controls were tested. Six (100%) of the sera from the patients with nocardial mycetoma had positive dot blots to purified antigen, whereas all 10 of the control sera were negative. Serum from one of two patients infected with A. madurae also reacted with the antigen. Thus, the 55-kilodalton protein appears to be produced by three medically important species of Nocardia and is useful when used in an immunoblot assay for identifying patients infected with these organisms.

Actinomycetoma of the mandibular region causing ankylosis

A case of mycetoma of the mandibular region caused by Actinomadura madurae is presented. Diagnostic procedures and rationale for treatment are discussed. In tropical and subtropical areas where mycetoma is endemic it should be included in the differential diagnosis of tumours of the facio-maxillary region.

Mouse toxicity induced by lipids and cell walls isolated from actinomycetes.

The possibility was examined that the toxicity induced in mice by Actinomadura madurae, 'Streptomyces pelletieri' and Nocardia brasiliensis was due to lipid and cell-wall constituents. Mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with heat-killed bacteria, lipid extracts and cell-wall preparations emulsified in mineral oil: toxicity was evaluated by recording weight loss and deaths. Killed cells and cell-wall preparations of all three actinomycetes produced a pronounced loss of body weight, tissue necrosis, splenomegaly, a granulomatous inflammation and sometimes death. Mice inoculated with lipid extracts from A. madurae and 'S. pelletieri' neither died nor showed toxic effects, but mice injected with lipids isolated from N. brasiliensis did suffer toxic effects. They showed more marked wasting symptoms than observed after inoculation of heat-killed bacteria or of the cell-wall preparation.

Mycetoma of the scalp: report of a case

Mycetoma of the scalp in a 10-year-old boy is reported. This is the first report of this infection in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The causative agent, Actinomadura madurae, has already been described in the Kingdom and shown by other workers to affect other parts of the body. The probable pathogenesis is discussed and the need to increase clinical awareness of the condition stressed.

Numerical Classification of Actinomadura and Nocardiopsis

We studied 170 strains of Actinomadura, Nocardiopsis, and related taxa. The overall similarities of the test strains were determined by comparing 120 unit characters, using the simple matching and pattern coefficients. Clustering was achieved by using the unweighted pair group method with averages. Cluster composition was not markedly affected by the coefficient used or by test error (estimated at 4.9%). The numerical data, together with results from previous chemical and genetic studies, showed that the genus Actinomadura is markedly heterogeneous. Strains received as Actinomadura fell into two large aggregate groups. One, Actinomadura sensu stricto, contained Actinomadura citrea, Actinomadura coerulea, Actinomadura coeruleoviolacea, Actinomadura cremea, Actinomadura livida, Actinomadura madurae, Actinomadura malachitica, Actinomadura pelletieri, and Actinomadura verrucosospora. Actinomadura kijaniata was not studied, but other genetic data suggest that it should also be included in this group. The other aggregate group encompassed Actinomadura ferruginea, Actinomadura pusilla, Actinomadura roseola, Actinomadura roseoviolacea, Actinomadura rubra, and Actinomadura salmonea. The representatives of Actinomadura helvata, Actinomadura libanotica, Actinomadura luteofluorescens, Actinomadura spadix, and Actinomadura spiralis studied formed distinct clusters separate from both of the aggregate groups. Nocardiopsis strains formed a cluster clearly distinguished from the clusters containing the Actinomadura strains.

The structure of the hexahydrogenated isoprenoid side-chain menaquinone with nine isoprene units isolated from Actinomadura madurae.

A new menaquinone homologue was isolated from a nocardioform bacterium, Actinomadura madurae. The isolated compound had ultraviolet and infrared absorption spectra very similar to those of menaquinone. The mass spectrum of the compound showed the molecular ion peak at m/z 790 with the coexistence of two intense fragment ion peaks at m/z 225 and 187. However, two weak fragment ion peaks were not found at m/z 721(M-69) and 653 (M-69-68) due to the successive loss of isoprene units. The 1H-NMR spectrum represented the signals of the following groups: 4×φ-H, δ 8.02-7.60; 6×-CH=C-, δ 5.04; Q-CH2-, δ 3.32 (doublet, J=6.7Hz); Q-CH3, δ 2.16; 10×=C-CH2-, δ 1.98; =C-CH3 (trans, 1st unit from quinone ring), δ 1.78; =C-CH3 (cis, 9th unit), δ 1.66; 5×=C-CH3 (trans, internal and 9th units), δ 1.57; 3×-CH2-CH2-CH-CH2-, δ 1.28; 3×-C-CH3, δ 0.90 (φ, benzene ring; Q, quinone ring). The chromenyl acetate was synthesized from the menaquinone, and was subjected to ozonolysis. The ozonolysis product had a mass spectrum showing ion peaks at m/z 464 (M+), 449 (M-15), 422 (M-42), 407 (M-15-42), 267, and 225. The results obtained indicated that the isolated menaquinone is formulated as 2-methyl-3-II, III, VIII-hexahydromultiprenyl9-1, 4-naphthoquinone.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid Homologies and Ribosomal Ribonucleic Acid Similarities Among Sporeforming Members of the Order Actinomycetales

We investigated the relatedness of 24 named species belonging to 18 sporeforming genera of the order Actinomycetales with respect to deoxyribonucleic acid-deoxyribonucleic acid homology and ribosomal ribonucleic acid cistron similarity. A total of 21 of these species grouped in three deoxyribonucleic acid homology clusters in which the homology values ranged between 20 and 45%. The first cluster contained Actinoplanes, Ampullariella, Amorphosporangium, Micromonospora, and Dactylosporangium; the second cluster contained Streptosporangium, Planomonospora, and Planobispora; and the third cluster included Streptomyces, Chainia, Kitasatoa, Streptoverticillium, Microellobosporia, Ely-trosporangium, and Actinosporangium. The close molecular genetic relationship of the organisms in each cluster was supported by several physiological and biochemical properties of taxonomic value. The ribosomal ribonucleic acid cistron similarity data did not indicate that any two of these clusters were specifically related to each other. Microtetraspora viridis DSM 43175, Spirillospora albida DSM 43034, and Actinomadura madurae DSM 43067 grouped separately from all of the the other organisms investigated.

Porcine abortions associated with Fungi, Actinomycetes, and Rhodococcus sp.

History, lesions, and results of microbiologic examinations are given for four porcine abortions associated with fungi and one each associated with Actinomadura madurae, an aerobic actinomycete, and Rhodococcus sp. The fungi were Gliomastix sp., Petriellidium boydii, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Exophiala jeanselmei. Parvovirus, isolated from one fetus, was the only other infectious agent identified. The presence of fungi, Actinomadura madurae, and Rhodococcus sp. in fetal and placental lesions indicates that they are a primary cause of sporadic abortion in pigs.

Experimental my cetoma infection in the goat

The goat proved to be susceptible to infection with mycetoma organisms. Repeated subcutaneous inoculation of goats with Actinomadura madurae, Nocardia brasiliensis and Actinomadura pelletieri resulted in local lesions. A. pelletieri was the most virulent strain and produced chronic sinuses which discharged numerous grains. Humoral antibodies were demonstrated by counterimmunoelectrophoresis. The administration of a corticosteroid produced slightly larger and more persistent lesions.

Numerical taxonomy of Actinomadura and related actinomycetes.

One hundred and fifty-six Actinomadura strains, marker strains of related taxa, and related isolates from bagasse and fodder were the subject of numerical phenetic analyses using 90 unit characters. The data were examined using the simple matching (SSM), Jaccard (SJ) and pattern (DP) coefficients and clustering was achieved using both single and average linkage algorithms. Cluster composition was not markedly affected either by the coefficient or clustering algorithms used or by test error, estimated at 4.5%. Actinomadura dassonvillei, Actinomadura madurae and Streptomyces somaliensis formed good taxospecies, but the separation of Actinomadura pelletieri strains into two clusters by SJ and SSM analysis requires further study. The single representatives of Actinomadura helvata, Actinomadura pusilla, Actinomadura roseoviolacea, Actinomadura spadix and Actinomadura verrucosopora seemed to form new centres of variation while Actinomadura citrea and Actinomadura malachitica showed much similarity with Actinomadura madurae. Most of the isolates form bagasse and fodder were recovered in two well-defined phena, provisionally labelled clusters 'A' and 'B' which showed little similarity to either Actinomadura or Nocardia strains. The effect of the different coefficients on the aggregation of clusters is discussed.

Mycetomas in North India.

Of 60 clinically suspected cases of mycetoma, 20 were confirmed by cultural and histopathological methods. The feet were found to be affected in 70% of the cases. The age group most affected by the disease was 20-40 years. Men were involved in 18 while females were affected in 2 cases only. Actinomycetomas (70%) were found more often than eumycetomas (30%). Nocardia species were identified in 35% of cases and Madurella mycetomi in 25%. There were four cases (20%) where the etiological agents could not be identified; these were suspected to be due to Actinomadura madurae. A. pelletieri, A. madurae, an unidentified anaerobic actinomyces, and Phialophora jeanselmei, were identified in one case each.

Preliminary investigation on the use of the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the serodiagnosis of mycetoma

Antibody levels in a small group of Sudanese patients with clinically diagnosed mycetoma, and control groups were measured by countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antigens were prepared from the following organisms: Streptomyces somaliensis, Actinomadura madurae, A. pelletieri, Nocardia brasiliensis and Madurella mycetomi. Positive reactions were obtained in clinical cases against the homologous antigens in both CIE and ELISA; all heterologous and control sera negative in CIE but produced some reaction particularly against N. brasiliensis and M. mycetomi antigens in ELISA.