Synergistes Group Organisms of Human Origin

Abstract

The bacterial division Synergistes represents a poorly characterized phylotype of which only a few isolates have been cultured, primarily from natural environments. Recent detection of Synergistes-like sequence types in periodontal pockets and caries lesions of humans prompted us to search the R. M. Alden culture collection (Santa Monica, Calif.) for biochemically unidentifiable, slow-growing, obligately anaerobic gram-negative bacilli. Here we report on five clinical isolates cultured from peritoneal fluid and two isolates from soft-tissue infections that together constitute three separate evolutionary lineages within the phylogenetic radiation of the division Synergistes. One of these clusters was formed by the peritoneal isolates and had an 85% similarity to Synergistes jonesii, the first described Synergistes species, which was isolated from the rumen of a goat. The isolates from soft-tissue infections, on the other hand, formed two distinct lineages moderately related to each other with a similarity of approximately 78%. In addition, by using a newly designed 16S rRNA gene-based PCR assay with intended target specificity for Synergistes, we found that the dominant phylotype from a fecal sample was nearly identical to that of the strains obtained from peritonitis. Conversely, sequence types detected in periodontal pockets formed a separate cluster that shared a similarity of only 80% with the soft-tissue isolates. These findings suggest a high diversity of medically important Synergistes clades that apparently are unique to individual ecological niches in the human body. In conclusion, we now have available the first characterized human isolates of the division Synergistes which are colonizing, and probably infecting, several sites in the human body.

Cloacibacillus evryensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel asaccharolytic, mesophilic, amino-acid-degrading bacterium within the phylum 'Synergistetes', isolated from an anaerobic sludge digester

“…EF468684) and from Synergistes spp. isolated from human blood (EF551160, EF551161, EF551162) and peritoneal fluid samples (DQ412721, DQ412717, DQ412718) (Horz et al, 2006) (Fig. 2).…”

“…Using 16S rRNA gene targeted PCR assays, Godon et al (2005) explored 93 anaerobic environments and reported that members of the Synergistes group of organisms (SGOs) were present in 95 % of the ecosystems analysed and the sequences formed separate phylogenetic groups, although their proportion was generally below 1 %. Also, Horz et al (2006) have found that SGOs are ubiquitous in humans and have been detected in various infectious diseases. They identified clinically relevant isolates that make up three unique clusters that apparently occupy their own individual ecological niches within the human body such as peritoneal fluid, soft tissues and periodontal pockets, the latter having no isolated representatives.…”

Jonquetella anthropi gen. nov., sp. nov., the first member of the candidate phylum ‘Synergistetes’ isolated from man

“…Strain RMA 10849 was obtained from the collection of the R. M. Alden Research Laboratory, Santa Monica, CA, USA. This isolate originated from a sacral wound and was previously described as an unnamed organism by Warren et al (2005) and further described as belonging to 'Synergistes' group organisms by Horz et al (2006). Colony morphology and the responses of the strains to special potency disks (Jousimies-Somer et al, 2002) were observed on Columbia sheep blood agar plates.…”

“…To date, bacteria belonging to the phylum 'Synergistetes' have been found in a large range of ecosystems, including the guts of mammals (Godon et al, 2005). Culture-independent studies have demonstrated their presence in man during endodontic or periodontic infections, in dental caries (Munson et al, 2002(Munson et al, , 2004Siqueira & Rôças, 2005, 2007Hutter et al, 2003), in subgingival plaque (Paster et al, 2001), in faeces (Horz et al, 2006) and in vaginal flora (A. Damay, H. Marchandin, L. Roudière, C. Teyssier, H. Dechaud, H. Jean-Pierre, E. Jumas-Bilak, unpublished results). However, only eight human isolates have been reported to date (Munson et al, 2002;Warren et al, 2005;Horz et al, 2006).…”

Identification of Synergistetes in endodontic infections

“…They are found in several microenvironments and constitute part of the human microbiota in health and disease [1][2][3][4], including the oral microbiota [5].…”