Biochemical and Serological Reactions of an Oral Filamentous Organism

Abstract

The genus Leptotrichia was omitted from Bergey's iManual of Determinative Bacteriology (Breed, Murray, and Smith, 1957) because a wide variety of unrelated, oral filamentous microorganisms had been previously placed in this genus. The confusion concerning the classification and definition of this genus has been emphasized by Baird-Parker and Davis (1958) and Gilmour and Hunter (1958). Two very different organisms have been termed Leptotrichia buwcalis. According to Baird-Parker and Davis (1958), the first of these was described by several early investigators as a grampositive, fusiform, anaerobic bacterium found in materia alba of the teeth. The cultural and biochemical reactions of this microorganism have been studied by Thj0tta, Hartman, and B0e (1939), B0e and Thj0tta (1944), and Hamilton and Zahler (1957). The second organism, a gram-positive, filamentous, facultative actinomycete, was described and studied by Bibby and Berry (1939) and Bartels (1943). More recently, Gilmour and Hunter (1958) and Howell and Rogosa (1958) reported improved techniques for the isolation and maintenance of these bacteria. To resolve the confusion which resulted from the application of the name Leptotrichia buccalis to both of these organisms, Davis and Baird-Parker (1959) suggested that two species be recognized in the genus Leptotrichia. They refer to the first type (the fusiform bacillus) as Leptotrichia buccalis, and the second type (the actinomycete) as Leptotrichia dentium. This paper is concerned with a study of the oral filamentous organism which has been designated recently as Leptotrichia dentium. Biochemical reactions were investigated to be certain we were dealing with the same organism described by other workers. Agglutination, cross-agglutination, and precipitin reactions were undertaken

Identification of Actinomyces, Arachnia, Bacterionema, Rothia, and Propionibacterium Species by Defined Immunofluorescence

“…The taxonomic position of B. matruchotii is uncertain (29,37), but it seems to constitute a quite distinct serological group in immunofluorescence, thereby confirming the results of earlier serological analyses by agglutination and immunodiffusion tests (32,48). Within the genus Actinomyces, A. odontolyticus occurs as a rather distinct serological entity.…”

ANTIGENIC CHARACTERISTICS OFLEPTOTRICHIA BUCCALIS(FUSOBACTERIUM FUSIFORME)

“…Since there was little specific information pertaining to antibody production in rabbits immunized with Leptotrichia, an experiment was designed to test the relative efficacy of three types of vaccines. Living, heat-killed, and formalinized antigens were prepared from strain 2; the animals were injected intravenously, according to the procedure described by Kroeger and Sibal (1961). During the first week of immunization, the animals appeared to lose weight; however, this loss was subsequently regained.…”

SEROLOGICAL SPECIFICITY OF ACID-SOLUBLE ANTIGENS OF BACTERIONEMA MATRUCHOTTII

“…The microorganisms used in this investigation, their origin and the medium of cultivation are given in Table 1. Methods for isolation and maintenance of B. matruchottii and L. buccalis have been described by Baird-Parker (1957) and Kroeger and Sibal (1961).…”

“…Preparation of antisera. Antisera were prepared in albino rabbits (2 kg) by the intravenous injection of heated or formalin-killed intact organisms; the details of the immunization procedure are given in a previous communication (Kroeger and Sibal, 1961). Occasionally, rabbits succumbed to a single intravenous injection of some of the L. buccalis vaccines.…”

“…The first serological studies on the facultative, filamentous organism reported by Kroeger and Sibal (1961) and Schmidt and Richardson (1961) have shown that all isolates possess some antigen or antigens in common. The findings of Kroeger and Sibal (1961) further indicated that identification might be facilitated or confirmed by employing acid-soluble extracts which react with antisera in a microprecipitin test. The present investigation demonstrates that the microprecipitin technique provides a reliable method for identification of these microorganisms.…”