Classification and identification of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Haemophilus aphrophilus by cluster analysis and deoxyribonucleic acid hybridizations

Abstract

Fifteen gram‐negative, saccharolytic rods isolated from advanced periodonlal pockeis were compared to type and reference strains of Arlinohacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Haemaphilus aphrophilus, and reference strains of Haemophilus paraphrophilus. Phenotypic features of organisms were used in cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from all strains and moles percent guanine plus cytosine content determined. DNA/DNA homology experiments were performed between reference strains of each species and oral isolates. Five strains from periodontosis lesions, two strains from Papillon‐Lefevre periodontal lesions, and four strains from periodontitis pockeis of adults were similar to A. actinomycetemcomitans by cluster analyses and by DNA/DNA homologies. Except for a single H. paraphrophilus isolate, the H. aphrophilus and H, paraphrophilus isolates could not be distinguished as two distinct species as there was overlap in biochemical characteristics and DNA/DNA homology. Two strains isolated from periodontosis lesions, two strains from adult periodontilis sites, and three oral reference strains were very similar to each other and to the H. aphrtiphilus type strain using phenotypic features. Hydrogen peroxide decomposition was not found to be a consistent feature of A. actinomycetemcumitans strains isolated from periodontal pockets.

Notes: Differentiation Between Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Haemophilus aphrophilus by High-Resolution, Two-Dimensional Protein Electrophoresis

“…It should be realized that differences on the species level do not exclude relatedness at the genus or family level. Consistent with this is the proposal for creating a new family that includes Haemophilus, Actinobacillus, and Pasteurella (18,29).…”

“…actinomycetemcomitans strains arranged into such groups differed from subgroups of A . actinomycetemcomitans established by cluster and multidimensional scaling analyses of phenotypic features (29), indicating that the taxonomic significance of sero-, biotype and leukotoxic grouping has yet to be demonstrated. This was partly supported by our findings.…”

Application of Multivariate Analyses of Enzymic Data to Classification of Members of the Actinobacillus-Haemophilus-Pasteurella Group

“…Subgroups of A . actinomycetemcomitans have also been established after cluster and multidimensional scaling analyses of phenotypic features (32). Furthermore, different biotypes, serotypes, leukotoxic groups, and protein profile groups have been described for this species (1,12,17,22,27,31).…”

“…aphrophilus and H . paraphrophilus on the basis of biochemical characteristics, DNA-DNA homology data (32), DNA-DNA hybddization data, or genetic transformation data (33).…”

Multivariate Analysis of Quantitative Chemical and Enzymic Characterization Data in Classification of Actinobacillus, Haemophilus and Pasteurella spp.

“…Such methods have been used previously to classify Neisseria (Smensen et al, 1985), Porphyromonas (Brondz et al, 1989a) and fungi (Blomquist et al, 1979;Brondz et al, 1989b London, UK), the Forsyth Dental Center (FDC; Boston, USA) and the Royal Dental College, Aarhus, Denmark. The identification of the clinical strains was based on physiological characteristics and endproducts (acid and gas) of metabolism (Tanner et al, 1982;Kilian, 1976).…”