Tsukamurella Tyrosinosolvens Research Articles

Transcriptional alterations of peanut root during interaction with growth-promoting Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens strain P9.

The plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens P9 can improve peanut growth. In this study, a co-culture system of strain P9 and peanut was established to analyze the transcriptome of peanut roots interacting with P9 for 24 and 72 h. During the early stage of co-culturing, genes related to mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Ca2+ signal transduction, ethylene synthesis, and cell wall pectin degradation were induced, and the up-regulation of phenylpropanoid derivative, flavonoid, and isoflavone synthesis enhanced the defense response of peanut. The enhanced expression of genes associated with photosynthesis and carbon fixation, circadian rhythm regulation, indoleacetic acid (IAA) synthesis, and cytokinin decomposition promoted root growth and development. At the late stage of co-culturing, ethylene synthesis was reduced, whereas Ca2+ signal transduction, isoquinoline alkaloid synthesis, and ascorbate and aldarate metabolism were up-regulated, thereby maintaining root ROS homeostasis. Sugar decomposition and oxidative phosphorylation and nitrogen and fatty acid metabolism were induced, and peanut growth was significantly promoted. Finally, the gene expression of seedlings inoculated with strain P9 exhibited temporal differences. The results of our study, which explored transcriptional alterations of peanut root during interacting with P9, provide a basis for elucidating the growth-promoting mechanism of this bacterial strain in peanut.

Catheter-related bloodstream infection caused by Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens identified by secA1sequencing in an immunocompromised child: a case report

BackgroundTsukamurella spp. are obligate aerobic, gram-positive, non-motile, and slightly acid-fast bacilli belonging to the Actinomycetes family. They share many characteristics with Nocardia, Rhodococcus, Gordonia, and the rapidly growing Mycobacterium species. Therefore, standard testing may misidentify Tsukamurella spp. as another species. Accurate and rapid diagnosis is critical for proper infection management, but identification of this bacterium is difficult in the standard laboratory setting.Case presentationA bloodstream infection caused by a gram-positive bacterium and related to a central venous catheter was identified in an immunocompromised 2-year-old girl. Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens was identified by modified secA1 sequencing. Antibiotic treatment and removal of the central venous catheter resolved the infection. Inappropriate management of the catheter during an overnight stay outside of the hospital was considered as a possible source of infection.ConclusionsSecA1 sequencing may be a useful diagnostic tool in the identification of T. tyrosinosolvens. Providing proper central venous catheter care instructions to patients, their families, and medical staff is important for infection prevention.

Significance of both alkB and P450 alkane-degrading systems in Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens: proteomic evidence.

The Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens PS2 strain was isolated from hydrocarbons-contaminated petrochemical sludge as a long chain alkane-utilizing bacteria. Complete genome analysis showed the presence of two alkane oxidation systems: alkane 1-monooxygenase (alkB) and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) genes with established high homology to the well-known alkane-degrading actinobacteria. According to the comparative genome analysis, both systems have a wide distribution among environmental and clinical isolates of the genus Tsukamurella and other members of Actinobacteria. We compared the expression of different proteins during the growth of Tsukamurella on sucrose and on hexadecane. Both alkane monooxygenases were upregulated on hexadecane: AlkB-up to 2.5 times, P450-up to 276 times. All proteins of the hexadecane oxidation pathway to acetyl-CoA were also upregulated. Accompanying proteins for alkane degradation involved in biosurfactant synthesis and transport of organic and inorganic molecules were increased. The change in the carbon source affected the pathways for the regulation of translation and transcription. The proteomic profile showed that hexadecane is an adverse factor causing activation of general and universal stress proteins as well as shock and resistance proteins. Differently expressed proteins of Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens PS2 shed light on the alkane degradation in other members of Actinobacteria class. KEY POINTS: • alkB and P450 systems have a wide distribution among the genus Tsukamurella. • alkB and P450 systems have coexpression with the predominant role of P450 protein. • Hexadecane causes significant changes in bacterial proteome.

Identification of a phosphorus-solubilizing Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens strain and its effect on the bacterial diversity of the rhizosphere soil of peanuts growth-promoting.

Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms widely exist in plant rhizosphere soil, but report about the P solubilization and multiple growth-promoting properties of rare actinomycetes are scarce. In this paper, a phosphate solubilizing Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens P9 strain was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of tea plants. Phosphorus-dissolving abilities of this strain were different under different carbon and nitrogen sources, the soluble phosphorus content was 442.41mg/L with glucose and potassium nitrate as nutrient sources. The secretion of various organic acids, such as lactic acid, maleic acid, oxalic acid, etc., was the main mechanism for P solubilization and pH value in culture was very significant negative correlation with soluble P content. In addition, this strain had multiple growth-promoting characteristics with 37.26μg/mL of IAA and 72.01% of siderophore relative content. Under pot experiments, P9 strain improved obviously the growth of peanut seedlings. The bacterial communities of peanut rhizoshpere soil were assessed after inoculated with P9 strain. It showed that there was no significant difference in alpha-diversity indices between the inoculation and control groups, but the P9 treatment group changed the composition of bacterial communities, which increased the relative abundance of beneficial and functional microbes, which relative abundances of Chitinophagaceae at the family level, and of Flavihumibacter, Ramlibacter and Microvirga at the genus level, were all siginificant increased. Specially, Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens were only detected in the rhizosphere of the inoculated group. This study not only founded growth-promoting properties of T. tyrosinosolvens P9 strain and its possible phosphate solublizing mechanism, but also expected to afford an excellent strain resource in biological fertilizers.

A CASE OF TSUKAMURELLA PULMONIS MASQUERADING AS PLEURAL TB IN AN IMMUNOCOMPETENT PATIENT

SESSION TITLE: Interesting Presentations of Infectious Diseases SESSION TYPE: Fellow Case Reports PRESENTED ON: 10/20/2019 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM INTRODUCTION: Respiratory infections due to Tsukamurella have been described in immunodeficient patients. To our knowledge, only one other case report of respiratory infection has been described in an immunocompetent patient. We hereby present a case of Tsukamurella infection causing tuberculosis like syndrome in an immunocompetent patient. CASE PRESENTATION: A 42-year-old male with a past medical history of hyperthyroidism who recently moved to the United States from India presented to the hospital with chest pain and shortness of breath (SOB). The patient had a viral upper respiratory infection three weeks before presentation and eventually developed worsening sharp chest pain and SOB. He saw a provider in the clinic who recommended a chest X-ray which revealed a right-sided pleural effusion. He underwent an outpatient thoracentesis, a liter of fluid was drained and revealed an eosinophilic predominant exudative fluid. A Quantiferon gold test was negative during that time. At our hospital, the patient was again found to have a right-sided pleural effusion, underwent repeat thoracentesis and eventually, a chest tube was placed. Pleural fluid analysis revealed a monocyte predominant exudative fluid. He later underwent a decortication procedure due to re-accumulation of fluid. Cultures from the fluid and the tissue were negative for acid-fast bacilli. Pathology of the pleura revealed benign tissue with fibrinous pleuritis. Initially, testing for Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) on three sputum samples and nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) remained negative. Throughout this, the patient remained under airborne precautions and was being empirically treated for pleural tuberculosis. Eventually one of the sputum cultures grew acid-fast bacilli within the first week, and this was deemed to be a rapid grower and not Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The culture was sent to Mayo clinic for identification and came back positive for Tsukamurella pulmonis. His antitubercular therapy was discontinued, and he was treated with levofloxacin and rifabutin for 3-6 months. He remained stable and disease free on follow up at 2 months. DISCUSSION: Tsukamurella species are obligate, aerobic, gram-positive, weakly acid-fast Actinomycetales. Infections are mostly related to immunocompromised state and use of intravascular catheters and prosthetic devices. Diagnosis remains a challenge as demonstrated in our case and the infection can mimic tuberculosis like syndrome leading to inappropriate treatment with anti-tubercular therapy. No guidelines exist regarding appropriate treatment, but levofloxacin and rifabutin have been described for treatment of pulmonary infection. CONCLUSIONS: As outlined in our case, Tsukamurella can mimic tuberculosis and diagnosis remains a challenge. A high index of suspicion is required to diagnose this infection in patients with high risk for tuberculosis as it changes management significantly. Reference #1: Inchingolo R., Nardi I., Chiappini F., Macis G., Ardito F., Sali M. First case of Tsukamurella pulmonis infection in an immunocompetent patient. Respir Med CME Reference #2: Chen C.H., Lee C.T., Chang T.C. Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens bacteremia with coinfection of Mycobacterium bovis pneumonia: case report and literature review. SpringerPlus. 2016;5:2033. Reference #3: Safaei, S., Fatahi-Bafghi, M., & Pouresmaeil, O. (2017). Role of Tsukamurella species in human infections: first literature review. New microbes and new infections, 22, 6-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nmni.2017.10.002 DISCLOSURES: Speaker/Speaker's Bureau relationship with Gilead Please note: $1-$1000 Added 03/15/2019 by Paul Anthony, source=Web Response, value=Honoraria No relevant relationships by Gaurav Manek, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Anand Muthu Krishnan, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Nihar Shah, source=Web Response

Draft Genome Sequence of a Medium- and Long-Chain n-Alkane-Degrading Bacterium, Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens Strain PS2, with Two Genetic Systems for Alkane Degradation.

Here, we report the genome sequence of Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens strain PS2, which was isolated from hydrocarbon sludge of an organic synthesis factory. This strain was able to utilize a wide range of n-alkanes, from C16 to C35, as sole carbon sources. Knowledge of the genome will provide insights into long-chain n-alkane biodegradation mechanisms.

The influence of feeding CAVP on intestinal microbiota of tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus )

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 投喂鲍内脏多糖对罗非鱼肠道菌群结构的影响 DOI: 作者: 作者单位: 1. 集美大学水产学院, 鳗鲡现代产业技术教育部工程研究中心, 福建 厦门 361021;2. 集美大学食品与生物工程学院, 福建 厦门 361021 作者简介: 吴振聪(1995-),男,硕士研究生,研究方向为水产动物营养与饲料.E-mail:980285151@qq.com 通讯作者: 中图分类号: S963 基金项目: 国家海洋局海洋公益性行业科研专项（201405016）；福建省科技引导性项目（2016N0022）. The influence of feeding CAVP on intestinal microbiota of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Author: Affiliation: 1. Fisheries College, Jimei University;Engineering Research Center of the Modern Technology for Eel Industry, Ministry of Education, Xiamen 361021, China;2. Food and Biological College, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:利用PCR-DGGE和Illumina测序技术研究了罗非鱼（）肠道菌群结构及饲喂鲍内脏多糖后罗非鱼肠道菌群的动态变化。在罗非鱼肠道中检测到13个门的细菌，其中梭杆菌门（Fusobacteria，77.84%）为优势菌门，拟杆菌门（Bacteroidetes，8.59%）、衣原体门（Chlamydiae，6.18%）、变形菌门（Proteobacteria，5.84%）和放线菌门（Actinobacteria，1.20%）为次优势菌门，还检测到Saccharibacteria等8个菌门和一些未知类群。在属的水平上，优势菌属为鲸杆菌属（Acinetobacter），分别占77.84%、5.796%、2.64%和1.13%，还有一个紫单胞菌科（Porphyromonadaceae）的未知属，占8.29%。此外还有分枝杆菌属（）等6个菌属和一些未知属。投喂添加鲍多糖的饲料对罗非鱼肠道微生物的构成造成了明显影响，饲喂鲍多糖的处理组和饲喂普通饲料的对照组样品分别聚为两大类。投喂添加鲍多糖饲料后，放线菌门、Saccharibacteria、疣微菌门和TM6_Dependentiae的丰度显著下调；在属的水平上，邻单胞菌属、鲸杆菌属的丰度上调；Alpinimonas等属的丰度下调。其中分枝杆菌属、<0.05）。在种水平上，一些潜在致病菌，如鲍曼不动杆菌（Aeromonas sharmana、耐酪酸冢村菌（）等的丰度下调，其中龟分枝杆菌和耐酪酸冢村菌与对照差异显著（<0.05），而鲸杆菌属等有益菌的丰度上调。本研究从肠道微生物的角度来研究鲍内脏多糖对宿主的影响，为海洋生物活性物质的功效评价提供了新思路，也为鲍内脏活性物质的开发利用、益生元的研制等奠定理论基础。 Abstract:The nutrient content of abalone viscera is similar to that of muscle. It contains rich proteins and various biologically active substances. However, the abalone viscera are often abandoned when processing or during consumption of abalone. This is not only a great waste, but also causes pollution to the environment. In recent years, with the exploration and research of marine active substances, abalone viscera have also been studied and developed. Intestinal microorganisms are known as "external organs" of the host, they are directly involved in the host's nutrition, immunity, metabolism, and so on. They play important roles in maintaining the health of the host. A few studies have reported the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity of abalone polysaccharides and polypeptides; however, the effects of abalone active substances on the intestinal microorganism have not been previously reported. In this paper, the intestinal microbiota of tilapia and the influence of feeding abalone visceral crude polysaccharide (CAVP) on the intestinal microbiota were studied by PCR-DGGE and Illumina MiSeq sequencing. A total of 13 bacterial phyla were detected in the intestines of tilapia:Fusobacteria (77.84%) was the dominant phylum, Bacteroidetes (8.59%), Chlamydiae (6.18%), Proteobacteria (5.84%), and Actinobacteria (1.20%) were the subdominant phyla. Saccharibacteria, Firmicutes, Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia, TM6_Dependentiae, Cyanobacteria, Spirochaetae, Acidobacteria, and some unknown groups were also detected. At the genus level, (5.80%), (1.13%) were the subdominant genera. There was also an unknown genus of the family Porphyromonadaceae, accounting for 8.29%. In addition, , and some unknown genera were also detected. The addition of CAVP diet had an obvious influence on the intestinal microbiota of tilapia because the CAVP-treated samples and the control samples without CAVP clustered separately. After feeding CAVP, the abundance of Actinobacteria, Saccharibacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and TM6_Dependentiae decreased significantly ( and Neochlamydia, Acinetobacter, Mycobacterium, Alsobacter, Aquicella, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, and Mycobacterium, Alsobacter, Aquicella, and P < 0.05). After feeding CAVP, the abundance of some pathogens, such as Mycobacterium abscessus, Acinetobabacter baumannii, Aeromonas sharmana, Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens, and Mycobacterium abscessus and decreased significantly compared with that of the control (Cetobacterium, increased. This study investigated the effects of CAVP on the host with regard to intestinal microbes; it provides insight into the efficient evaluation of marine active substances, and also lays a theoretical foundation for the development and utilization of bioactive substances and the development of prebiotics from abalone viscera. In addition, this study is of importance in recycling abalone viscera and reducing environmental pollution. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Tsukamurella ocularis sp. nov. and Tsukamurella hominis sp. nov., isolated from patients with conjunctivitis in Hong Kong.

Three bacterial strains, HKU63T, HKU64 and HKU65T, were isolated from the conjunctival swabs of three patients with conjunctivitis in Hong Kong. The three strains were aerobic, Gram-stain-positive, catalase-positive, non-sporulating and non-motile bacilli and exhibited unique biochemical profiles distinguishable from closely related Tsukamurella species. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the three strains shared identical sequences with each other, being most closely related to Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens and Tsukamurella pulmonis, sharing 99.9 % sequence identity. Sequence analysis of three additional housekeeping genes, groEL, secA and rpoB, revealed 100 % nucleotide sequence identity between HKU63T and HKU64, 94.2-97.0 % nucleotide sequence identities between HKU63T/HKU64 and HKU65T and the three strains shared 82.9-98.9 % sequence identities with other currently recognized Tsukamurella species. DNA-DNA hybridization confirmed that they were distinct from other known species of the genus Tsukamurella(23.0±4.2 to 50.7±3.7 % DNA-DNA relatedness), of which HKU63T and HKU64 represented the same species (≥95.2±4.8 % DNA-DNA relatedness) while HKU65T represented another species. Fatty acid, mycolic acid, cell-wall sugar and peptidoglycan analyses showed that they were typical of members of Tsukamurella. The G+C content of strains HKU63T, HKU64 and HKU65T were 71.3±1.9, 71.3±2.0 and 71.2±2.3 mol% (mean±sd; n=3), respectively. A novel species, Tsukamurella ocularis sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate strains HKU63T and HKU64, with HKU63T (=JCM 31969T=DSM 105034T) designated as the type strain whilst another novel species, Tsukamurella hominis sp. nov., is proposed to accommodate the third strain, HKU65T, which is designated as the type strain (=JCM 31971T=DSM 105036T).

Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens bacteremia with coinfection of Mycobacterium bovis pneumonia: case report and literature review.

IntroductionWe describe an immunocompromised patient with Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens bacteremia and coinfection of Mycobacterium bovis pneumonia.Case DescriptionA 75-year-old male was admitted to our hospital complaining of persistent fever with general malaise. His medical history showed that he had diabetes mellitus (HbA1C 9.2%). A chest computed tomography (CT) showed left upper lung consolidation . Two sets of blood culture at admission finally showed Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens. Moreover, three transbronchoscopy washing specimen cultures revealed Mycobacterium bovis.Discussion and EvaluationThe organism Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens was identified using conventional biochemical identification methods, PCR-restriction DNA fragment analysis, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The clinical mycobacterial isolates were identified to the species level by combining Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with an oligonucleotide microarray to detect the M. bovis amplicons.ConclusionAccording to our literature review, our patient’s case was the first of a coinfection with Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens and Mycobacterium bovis. Prolonged antibiotic treatment and underlying disease control are necessary for this type of patient.

The characteristic and kinetic studies on the enantioselective hydrolysis of (R, S)‐α‐ethyl‐2‐oxo‐1‐pyrrolidine acetic acid ethyl ester catalyzed by Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens E105‐derived hydrolase

ABSTRACTAs a key chiral intermediate of Levetiracetam, (S)‐α‐ethyl‐2‐oxo‐1‐pyrrolidine acetic acid can be produced by ester hydrolase‐catalyzed hydrolysis of (R, S)‐α‐ethyl‐2‐oxo‐1‐pyrrolidine acetic acid ethyl ester. In this paper, the characteristics and kinetics of such hydrolysis were investigated using ester hydrolase derived from soil bacterium Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens E105. Effects of different parameters were systematically investigated to reveal the primary factors that determine the performance of the enantioselective hydrolysis. The optimal reaction conditions were found to be as follows: temperature, 30 °C; pH, 7.0; potassium phosphate buffer, 0.5 mol/L; and 9.2 mmol/L of substrate. Under the optimum conditions, a substrate inhibition kinetic model based on Michaelis–Menten was proposed and verified with experimental data. Moreover, the obtained kinetic constants were Km = 6.73 mmol/L, Vmax = 18.9 × 10−3 mmol/L/min and Ksi = 23.7 mmol/L. This model can be used to predict the ester hydrolase‐catalyzed hydrolysis of (R, S)‐α‐ethyl‐2‐oxo‐1‐pyrrolidine acetic acid ethyl ester and will be advantageous to the industrial application of this process. © 2014 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Answer to March 2014 Photo Quiz

Answer: Bacteremia caused by Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens. The isolate was definitively identified as Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens via DNA sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. Similar to those of aerobic actinomycetes such as Gordonia spp., Rhodococcus spp., and Nocardia spp., cell walls of Tsukamurella spp. contain mycolic acids and allow for a weakly positive reaction upon modified acid-fast staining (1). The longer bacillary form of Tsukamurella spp. potentiates preliminary differentiation from Gordonia spp. (short coryneform bacilli) and Rhodococcus spp. (some coccoid forms) (1). Additional phenotypic delineation of Tsukamurella spp. can be guided with demonstration of growth in lysozyme (also Nocardia spp.) and specialized characterization of mycolic acid and menaquinone chemistry. However, molecular techniques, particularly those centered on gene sequencing, are necessary for definitive identification of aerobic actinomycetes to both the genus and species levels (1). Tsukamurella spp. have been documented to be etiologies of clinical disease, with reports increasing in recent years. Within a 12-year period at a university hospital, Liu et al. (2) rank ordered isolates of T. tyrosinosolvens, Tsukamurella spumae, and Tsukamurella pulmonis in the context of keratitis or catheter-related bloodstream infection. On rare occasions, Tsukamurella paurometabola has also been implicated in clinical disease (1). Specific to T. tyrosinosolvens, a recent report by Karunakaran et al. (3) typified a common clinical presentation. A catheter-related bloodstream infection in a 51-year-old hematology patient was resolved via catheter removal and an imipenem regimen. T. tyrosinosolvens has also been implicated in cerebellar abscess (4) and presentations of respiratory disease (5, 6). The two preceding citations shared an underlying status of immunosuppression, ranging from antecedent lung transplantation to delivery of chemotherapeutic agents by a central venous catheter. The cerebellar abscess presented in an immunocompetent patient with predisposing chronic otitis media that was refractory to penicillin and cephalosporin agents. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was not performed on this isolate, due to the inconclusive utility of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute standards for testing aerobic actinomycetes other than Nocardia spp. (7). Liu et al. (2), in a limited data set, suggested that T. pulmonis yielded higher MICs for clindamycin, erythromycin, vancomycin, and tetracycline than other Tsukamurella spp. Antimicrobials with lower MICs across multiple species included gentamicin, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin. Similar to data reported by Karunakaran et al. (3), our patient defervesced quickly upon removal of the peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line and initiation of antimicrobial therapy. The patient was discharged to home on parenteral vancomycin therapy. (See page 711 in this issue [doi:10.1128/JCM.03462-12] for photo quiz case presentation.)

Hexadecane-degradation by Teskumurella and Stenotrophomonas Strains Isolated From Hydrocarbon Contaminated Soils

Background: Petroleum hydrocarbons are mix compounds and divided into four groups: Saturates, Aromatics, Resins and Asphalten. Among various phases of crude-oil, the alkanes with medium length chain are favorable substrates that rapidly degraded, although short-chain alkanes are very toxic and long-chain alkanes have low solubility in water that reduce its bioavailability and make resistant to biodegradation. Objectives: The main goal of this study is the isolation, molecular identification and degradation properties of hexadecane degrading bacteria from contaminated soils. Materials and Methods: In this research to isolate aliphatic degrading bacteria, sampling from hydrocarbon contaminated soil with of petroleum reservoirs regions, Tehran were performed. Alkane degrading bacteria were isolated by enrichment in Bushnel-Hass medium with hexadecane as sole source of carbon and energy. The isolated strains were identified by amplification of 16S rDNA gene and sequencing. Alkane hydroxylase gene (alk-B) was identified in all strains by PCR with specific primers. Results: Among 8 strains three strains with high growth rate on hexadecane selected for further study. These three selected strains identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain M2, S. maltophilia strain Q2 and Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens strain Q3. In comparison to the other bacteria, these bacterial strains can degrade hexadecane 2 times more; with a high emulsification activity. Conclusions: The 2.5% concentration of hexadecane was the best concentration that supports the growth of these strains. Among these strain T. tyrosinosolvens strain Q3 was the best strain for biodegradation of hexadecane. Alk-B gene was identified in all strains.

Isolation and characterization of alkane degrading bacteria from petroleum reservoir waste water in Iran (Kerman and Tehran provenances)

Petroleum products spill and leakage have become two major environmental challenges in Iran. Sampling was performed in the petroleum reservoir waste water of Tehran and Kerman Provinces of Iran. Alkane degrading bacteria were isolated by enrichment in a Bushnel–Hass medium, with hexadecane as sole source of carbon and energy. The isolated strains were identified by amplification of 16S rDNA gene and sequencing. Specific primers were used for identification of alkane hydroxylase gene. Fifteen alkane degrading bacteria were isolated and 8 strains were selected as powerful degradative bacteria. These 8 strains relate to Rhodococcus jostii, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Achromobacter piechaudii, Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Rhodococcus erythropolis, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa genera. The optimum concentration of hexadecane that allowed high growth was 2.5%. Gas chromatography results show that all strains can degrade approximately half of hexadecane in one week of incubation. All of the strains have alkane hydroxylase gene which are important for biodegradation. As a result, this study indicates that there is a high diversity of degradative bacteria in petroleum reservoir waste water in Iran.

Biocontrol of Phytophthora Blight and Anthracnose in Pepper by Sequentially Selected Antagonistic Rhizobacteria against Phytophthora capsici.

We previously developed a sequential screening procedure to select antagonistic bacterial strains against Phytophthora capsici in pepper plants. In this study, we used a modified screening procedure to select effective biocontrol strains against P. capsici; we evaluated the effect of selected strains on Phytophthora blight and anthracnose occurrence and fruit yield in pepper plants under field and plastic house conditions from 2007 to 2009. We selected four potential biocontrol strains (Pseudomonas otitidis YJR27, P. putida YJR92, Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens YJR102, and Novosphingobium capsulatum YJR107) among 239 bacterial strains. In the 3-year field tests, all the selected strains significantly (P < 0.05) reduced Phytophthora blight without influencing rhizosphere microbial populations; they showed similar or better levels of disease suppressions than in metalaxyl treatment in the 2007 and 2009 tests, but not in the 2008 test. In the 2-year plastic house tests, all the selected strains significantly (P < 0.05) reduced anthracnose incidence in at least one of the test years, but their biocontrol activities were variable. In addition, strains YJR27, YJR92, and YJR102, in certain harvests, increased pepper fruit numbers in field tests and red fruit weights in plastic house tests. Taken together, these results indicate that the screening procedure is rapid and reliable for the selection of potential biocontrol strains against P. capsici in pepper plants. In addition, these selected strains exhibited biocontrol activities against anthracnose, and some of the strains showed plant growth-promotion activities on pepper fruit.

Tsukamurella sp. E105 as a new biocatalyst for highly enantioselective hydrolysis of ethyl 2-(2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl) butyrate

A new bacterial strain, E105, has been introduced as a biocatalyst for the enantioselective hydrolysis of ethyl (R,S)-2-(2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl) butyrate, (R,S)-1, to (S)-2-(2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl) butyric acid, (S)-2. This strain was isolated from 60 soil samples using (R,S)-1 as the sole carbon source. The isolate was identified as Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens E105, based on its morphological characteristics, physiological tests, and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The process of cell growth and hydrolase production for this strain was then investigated. The hydrolase activity reached its maximum after cultivation at 200rpm and 30°C for 36h. Furthermore, the performance of the enantioselective hydrolysis of (R,S)-1 was studied. The optimal reaction temperature, initial pH, substrate concentration, and concentration of suspended cells were 30°C, 6.8, 10 and 30g/l (DCW), respectively. Under these conditions, a high conversion (>45%) of the product (S)-2 with an excellent enantiomeric excess (ee) (>99%), and a satisfied enantiomeric ratio (E) (>600) as well were obtained. This study showed that the bacterial isolate T. tyrosinosolvens E105 displayed a high enantioselectivity towards the hydrolysis of racemic ethyl 2-(2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl) butyrate.

Clinical characteristics of infections caused by Tsukamurella spp. and antimicrobial susceptibilities of the isolates

To investigate the clinical and microbiological characteristics of infections caused by Tsukamurella spp., the computerised database of the Bacteriology Laboratory at National Taiwan University Hospital (Taipei, Taiwan) was reviewed retrospectively to identify patients with infections caused by this species during the period January 1997 to December 2008. All of the isolates had been initially misidentified as Rhodococcus spp. Identification of Tsukamurella isolates to species level was carried out by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of the heat shock protein gene ( hsp65) as well as 16S rRNA gene sequencing. During the study period, a total of eight patients with Tsukamurella infection and two patients with Tsukamurella colonisation were identified. Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens ( n = 6) was the most prevalent species, followed by Tsukamurella spumae ( n = 3) and Tsukamurella pulmonis ( n = 1). Keratitis was the most common type of infection ( n = 3), followed by catheter-related bloodstream infection ( n = 2). One of the patients with Tsukamurella infection died due to bacteraemia; the other seven patients with Tsukamurella infection had favourable outcomes. The three species had different drug susceptibility patterns; T. pulmonis was the most resistant pathogen, with higher minimum inhibitory concentrations of clindamycin (>2 mg/L), erythromycin (2 mg/L) and tetracycline (8 mg/L) than those for the other Tsukamurella spp. In conclusion, strains of Tsukamurella spp., including T. spumae, are uncommon causative agents of ocular infections and bacteraemia in cancer patients. Molecular diagnostic methods are essential to distinguish species in the Tsukamurella genus from species in other phylogenetically related genera such as Rhodococcus.

Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens cultured from sputum of a patient who received total gastrectomy for gastric cancer

A 79-year old woman underwent total gastrectomy under the diagnosis of gastric cancer in Feb. 2003. In the beginning of Jan. 2005, she noticed hemosputum and was admitted to our hospital. Chest radiograph and CT disclosed bilateral upper lobe-dominant nodular opacities in the subpleural areas and ground-glass opacities in right S6. Transbronchial lung biopsy was performed, but no useful information for the diagnosis was obtained. Ziehl-Neelsen stain was negative for the smear of the sputum at admission, but weakly stained acid-fast bacilli were grown in the MGIT culture. By the analysis of mycolic acid and menaquinone of the cell membrane, the bacilli were identified as Tsukamurella. Since she was asymptomatic and repeated sputum examination revealed negative bacilli, she has been observed at the outpatient clinic without any treatment.

Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens - An unusual case report of bacteremic pneumonia after lung transplantation

BackgroundLung transplant recipients have an increased risk for actinomycetales infection secondary to immunosuppressive regimen.Case presentationA case of pulmonary infection with bacteremia due to Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens in a 54-year old man who underwent a double lung transplantation four years previously is presented.ConclusionThe identification by conventional biochemical assays was unsuccessful and hsp gene sequencing was used to identify Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens.

Tsukamurella soli sp. nov., isolated from soil

A Gram-positive, rod-shaped, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, white-coloured bacterium, designated strain JS18-1(T), was isolated from a soil sample collected from Halla mountain, Jeju island, Korea. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the strain was most closely related to members of the genus Tsukamurella with levels of sequence similarity of 95.4-96.5 %. Strain JS18-1(T) shared highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Tsukamurella strandjordii DSM 44573(T) (96.5 %), Tsukamurella carboxydivorans Y2(T) (96.4 %) and Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens DSM 44234(T) (96.4 %). The G+C content of the total DNA of strain JS18-1(T) was 70 mol%. The cell-wall peptidoglycan type was A1gamma and mycolic acids were also detected. The predominant polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol. The major quinone was menaquinone-9 (MK-9) and major cell-wall sugars were arabinose, ribose and glucose. The major fatty acids (>10 % of the total fatty acids) were C(16 : 0), C(18 : 1)omega9c, C(18 : 0) 10-methyl and summed feature 3 (C(16 : 1)omega7c and/or iso-C(15 : 0) 2-OH). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and chemotaxonomic, biochemical and physiological characteristics indicate that strain JS18-1(T) represents a novel species of the genus Tsukamurella, for which the name Tsukamurella soli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JS18-1(T) (=KACC 20764(T)=DSM 45046(T)).

Isolation and identification of dibutyl phthalate-degrading bacteria from hydrospheres in Tokyo

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is used widely as a plasticizer and is thought to negatively affect various organisms. To isolate and investigate DBP-degrading bacteria from hydrospheres in Tokyo, strains were selected on YNB medium containing DBP as the sole carbon source, and candidate strains were identified by zones of clearing around the colonies. Degradation of DBP by the strains was subsequently measured with HPLC, and bacterial identification was accomplished using 16S rDNA sequences. Nineteen strains of DBP degraders were isolated from activated sludge in a sewage treatment plant, from Tokyo Bay, and from the Takahama Canal. These strains degraded 16.8%-88.0% of DBP (0.1%, v/v) for 2 weeks and were identified as several species of Acinetobacter, as well as Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens, Ochrobactrum anthropi, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus. Commercially available strains of Acinetobacter were also found to degrade DBP.