Abstract

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of a portion of the genome of both rapidly growing Mycobacteria and Nocardia species, followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the amplification products, has proven to be a useful technique in the diagnostic laboratory. Identification of these organisms at the species level can be obtained within a few days of organism isolation, as compared with the month or more required for conventional identification based on biochemical testing. In addition, these molecular procedures allow more accurate discrimination among species and subspecies than is possible with biochemical testing. Our work with two different areas of the Nocardia genome (a portion of the gene for 16S ribosomal RNA and a portion of the gene for the heat-shock protein) has suggested the existence of hitherto unrecognized Nocardia species; work is ongoing to characterize these organisms further. We are just beginning a study of the feasibility of distinguishing among these organisms by high-performance liquid chromatography. A manuscript describing our methodology and summarizing our findings to date has been published.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Clinical Center (CLC)
Type
Intramural Research (Z01)
Project #
1Z01CL010247-06
Application #
6431842
Study Section
Cognition and Perception Study Section (CP)
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
6
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Clinical Center
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
State
Country
United States
Zip Code

  Publications

Palmore, Tara N; Shea, Yvonne R; Conville, Patricia S et al. (2009) ""Mycobacterium tilburgii,"" a newly described, uncultivated opportunistic pathogen. J Clin Microbiol 47:1585-7
Montero, C I; Shea, Y R; Jones, P A et al. (2008) Evaluation of Pyrosequencing technology for the identification of clinically relevant non-dematiaceous yeasts and related species. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 27:821-30
Conville, Patricia S; Brown, June M; Steigerwalt, Arnold G et al. (2008) Nocardia wallacei sp. nov. and Nocardia blacklockiae sp. nov., human pathogens and members of the ""Nocardia transvalensis Complex"". J Clin Microbiol 46:1178-84
Conville, Patricia S; Witebsky, Frank G (2007) Organisms designated as Nocardia asteroides drug pattern type VI are members of the species Nocardia cyriacigeorgica. J Clin Microbiol 45:2257-9
Conville, Patricia S; Witebsky, Frank G (2007) Analysis of multiple differing copies of the 16S rRNA gene in five clinical isolates and three type strains of Nocardia species and implications for species assignment. J Clin Microbiol 45:1146-51
Conville, Patricia S; Zelazny, Adrian M; Witebsky, Frank G (2006) Analysis of secA1 gene sequences for identification of Nocardia species. J Clin Microbiol 44:2760-6
Conville, Patricia S; Witebsky, Frank G (2005) Multiple copies of the 16S rRNA gene in Nocardia nova isolates and implications for sequence-based identification procedures. J Clin Microbiol 43:2881-5
Cloud, Joann L; Conville, Patricia S; Croft, Ann et al. (2004) Evaluation of partial 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing for identification of nocardia species by using the MicroSeq 500 system with an expanded database. J Clin Microbiol 42:578-84
Conville, Patricia S; Brown, June M; Steigerwalt, Arnold G et al. (2004) Nocardia kruczakiae sp. nov., a pathogen in immunocompromised patients and a member of the ""N. nova complex"". J Clin Microbiol 42:5139-45
Conville, Patricia S; Brown, June M; Steigerwalt, Arnold G et al. (2003) Nocardia veterana as a pathogen in North American patients. J Clin Microbiol 41:2560-8

Showing the most recent 10 out of 12 publications