Rhodococci

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1988 Mar, 54(3), 683 - 7
Hydroxylation and dechlorination of chlorinated guaiacols and syringols by Rhodococcus chlorophenolicus; Haggblom MM et al.; We show that Rhodococcus chlorophenolicus PCP-I, a polychlorophenol degrader, also degrades various chlorine-substituted guaiacols (2-methoxyphenols) and syringols (2,6-dimethoxyphenols) . The substrates investigated were tetrachloroguaiacol, 3,4,6- and 3,5,6-trichloroguaiacol, 3,5- and 3,6-dichloroguaiacol, trichlorosyringol, and 3,5-dichlorosyringol . The first step was a hydroxylation, probably in a position para to the preexisting hydroxyl . Tetrachloroguaiacol and trichlorosyringol, with a chlorine substituent in the para position, were both hydroxylated and dechlorinated . The optimum temperature for degradation of polychlorinated guaiacols and syringols was 37 to 41 degrees C . Degradation of polychlorinated phenols, guaiacols, and syringols by R . chlorophenolicus was inducible, and induction was controlled coordinately.

J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Feb, 26(2), 201 - 5
Severe progressive subcutaneous abscesses and necrotizing tenosynovitis caused by Rhodococcus aurantiacus; Tsukamura M et al.; A case of severe progressive subcutaneous abscesses and necrotizing tenosynovitis of the right arm of a 30-year-old woman caused by Rhodococcus aurantiacus is reported.

J Bacteriol, 1988 Feb, 170(2), 638 - 45
Construction of an Escherichia coli-Rhodococcus shuttle vector and plasmid transformation in Rhodococcus spp; Singer ME et al.; A plasmid transformation system for Rhodococcus sp . strain H13-A was developed by using an Escherichia coli-Rhodococcus shuttle plasmid constructed in this study . Rhodococcus sp . strain H13-A contains three cryptic indigenous plasmids, designated pMVS100, pMVS200, and pMVS300, of 75, 19.5, and 13.4 kilobases (kb), respectively . A 3.8-kb restriction fragment of pMVS300 was cloned into pIJ30, a 6.3-kb pBR322 derivative, containing the E . coli origin of replication (ori) and ampicillin resistance determinant (bla), as well as a Streptomyces gene for thiostrepton resistance, tsr . The resulting 10.1-kb recombinant plasmid, designated pMVS301, was isolated from E . coli DH1(pMVS301) and transformed into Rhodococcus sp . strain AS-50, a derivative of strain H13-A, by polyethylene glycol-assisted transformation of Rhodococcus protoplasts and selection for thiostrepton-resistant transformants . Thiostrepton-resistant transformants were also ampicillin resistant and were shown to contain pMVS301, which was subsequently isolated and transformed back into E . coli . The cloned 3.8-kb fragment of Rhodococcus DNA in pMVS301 contains a Rhodococcus origin of replication, since the hybrid plasmid was capable of replication in both genera . The plasmid was identical in E . coli and Rhodococcus transformants as determined by restriction analysis and was maintained as a stable, independent replicon in both organisms . Optimization of the transformation procedure resulted in transformation frequencies in the range of 10(5) transformants per micrograms of pMVS301 DNA in Rhodococcus sp . strain H13-A and derivative strains . The plasmid host range extends to strains of Rhodococcus erythropolis, R . globulerus, and R . equi, whereas stable transformants were not obtained with R . rhodochrous or with several coryneform bacteria tested as recipients . A restriction map demonstrated 14 unique restriction sites in pMVS301, some of which are potentially useful for molecular cloning in Rhodococcus spp . and other actinomycetes . This is the first report of plasmid transformation and of heterologous gene expression in a Rhodococcus sp.

Mol Gen Genet, 1988 Jan, 211(1), 148 - 54
Plasmid-borne resistance to arsenate, arsenite, cadmium, and chloramphenicol in a Rhodococcus species; Dabbs ER et al.; A primarily genetic approach was employed to obtain plasmids in Rhodococcus erythropolis ATCC 12674 which carried genes conferring increased resistance to sodium arsenate and arsenite, cadmium chloride, and chloramphenicol . The plasmids were large, migrating more slowly than chromosomal DNA in agarose gels, and were made up of resistance determinants from the host organism together with part of the genome of nocardiophage Q4 . Purified plasmid was used to transform a suitable recipient to increased resistance to sodium arsenate, sodium arsenite, and cadmium chloride.

Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1988 Jan, 267(3), 339 - 56
Menaquinone composition in the classification and identification of aerobic actinomycetes; Yassin AF et al.; Menaquinones were the only isoprenoid quinones found in 36 strains representing different species of the genera Nocardia, Mycobacterium, Rhodococcus, Amycolatopsis, Saccharothrix, Streptomyces, Nocardiopsis and Actinomadura . Dihydrogenated menaquinones with nine isoprene units {MK-9(H2)} were the main components isolated from Mycobacterium . Dihydrogenated and tetrahydrogenated menaquinones with eight isoprene units were the predominant compounds identified in typical Rhodococcus and Nocardia strains, respectively . "Nocardia phenotolerans" differed from all of the other Nocardia species included in the study, in that it contained the MK-9(H2) {MK-8(H2)} menaquinone system . Nocardioform bacteria lacking mycolic acids contained tetrahydrogenated menaquinones with nine isoprene units as the main component . The Streptomyces strains studied exhibited complex mixtures of partially saturated menaquinones with nine isoprene units with the hexa- and/or octahydrogenated components predominating . Actinomadurae contained major amounts of hexahydrogenated menaquinones with nine isoprene units . In contrast, the single Nocardiopsis strain examined possessed complex mixtures of menaquinones with ten isoprene units, the dihydrogenated components being main constituents.

J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Jan, 26(1), 155 - 7
Mesenteric lymphadenitis of swine caused by Rhodococcus sputi; Tsukamura M et al.; Rhodococcus sputi caused tuberculosislike lymphadenitis of mesenteric lymph nodes in swine . This is the first study reporting that R . sputi can be a pathogen in swine.

Microbiol Immunol, 1988, 32(4), 441 - 5
Differentiation between genera Rhodococcus and Nocardia by susceptibility testing to kanamycin and some other antituberculosis agents; Tsukamura M; The test for susceptibility to kanamycin is useful for differentiating between the genera Rhodococcus and Nocardia . All rhodococci except R . equi, R . erythropolis, and R . aurantiacus are susceptible to kanamycin, whereas all nocardiae except N . otitidis-caviarum are resistant to kanamycin . Tests for susceptibility to rifampicin, streptomycin, and minocycline also are useful for differentiating among the species of each genus.

Scand J Infect Dis, 1988, 20(6), 673 - 7
Infection with Rhodococcus equi in a patient with sarcoidosis treated with corticosteroids; Hillerdal G et al.; A 51-year-old female farmer was diagnosed as having sarcoidosis . During 4 years of observation, slow radiological progression was observed . Cough then developed, necessitating treatment with corticosteroids . After 28 months of continuous treatment with prednisolone in low doses (5-7.5 mg daily), she suffered fever episodes, recurrent haemoptyses, general malaise and loss of weight . A chest roentgenogram showed a left upper lobe infiltrate, which progressed and finally cavitated, and rib destruction . Despite efforts, including a thoracotomy, 22 months passed before a diagnosis could be made . Blood and sputum cultures and cultures from the destroyed rib showed growth of Rhodococcus equi, a common soil organism which can cause infections in foals and other animals . Treatment with rifampicin and erythromycin was successful . R . equi has been reported to cause infection in patients with neoplastic disease and/or immunosuppression, but the disease might be more common than is suggested by the sparse case reports in the literature, owing to lack of familiarity with the organism, which will tend to be overlooked as a contaminant.

J Clin Microbiol, 1987 Nov, 25(11), 2126 - 31
High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of mycolic acids as an aid in laboratory identification of Rhodococcus and Nocardia species; Butler WR et al.; High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the p-bromophenacyl esters of mycolic acids from whole organisms gave chromatographic patterns that were useful in differentiation of Rhodococcus and Nocardia species . Rhodococcus equi, R . erythropolis, and R . rhodochrous contained more-polar mycolic acids and were easily separated from the less-polar mycolic acid-containing species of R . sputi, R . bronchialis, R . corallinus, R . rubropertinctus, and R . terrae . The less-polar mycolic acid-containing Rhodococcus species showed chromatographic patterns that partially overlapped (in elution times) the patterns of Nocardia asteroides, N . otitidiscaviarum, and N . brasiliensis, but the larger number of peaks in the last species made separation between the genera possible . Distinct chromatographic patterns were found for most species, except for R . equi strains that showed two different patterns . Strains of R . rubropertinctus and R . terrae appeared identical . N . asteroides and N . otitidiscaviarum showed similar mycolic acid patterns.

J Bacteriol, 1987 Nov, 169(11), 5125 - 30
Complete dechlorination of tetrachlorohydroquinone by cell extracts of pentachlorophenol-induced Rhodococcus chlorophenolicus; Apajalahti JH et al.; In this paper we describe the sequence of reactions leading from tetrachloro-para-hydroquinone to 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene by inducible enzymes of Rhodococcus chlorophenolicus . Tetrachlorohydroquinone was first converted to a dichlorotrihydroxybenzene in a reaction involving both hydrolytic and reductive dechlorination; no trichlorinated intermediate was detected . Dichlorotrihydroxybenzene was subsequently reductively dechlorinated to a monochlorotrihydroxybenzene and finally to 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene . The cell extract also catalyzed, at a lower rate, reductive dechlorination of trichlorohydroquinone, mainly to 2,3-dichlorohydroquinone . To our knowledge this is the first demonstration of reductive aromatic dechlorination by bacterial enzymes.

Can J Vet Res, 1987 Oct, 51(4), 444 - 7
Protection of foals against experimental Rhodococcus equi pneumonia by oral immunization; Chirino-Trejo JM et al.; Two groups of three one to three week old foals were immunized orally on four occasions over five weeks with two strains of Rhodococcus equi, a clinical isolate from a pneumonic foal and a laboratory passaged Congo red negative variant of this strain . Three nonimmunized foals of similar age acted as controls . Three weeks after the last immunization, all foals were challenged on five occasions over seven days by aerosol infection with about 10(10) of the pneumonic foal isolate on each occasion . Control foals became seriously ill and were euthanized . Immunization with either strain protected foals equally against the challenge, and resulted in rapid lung clearance . Oral immunization can thus protect foals against severe challenge with R . equi . The proteins associated with Congo red colony staining appear not to be involved in protective immunity.

Vet Microbiol, 1987 Oct, 15(1-2), 105 - 13
Diagnosis of Rhodococcus equi infection in foals by the agar gel diffusion test with protein antigen; Nakazawa M et al.; A protein antigen that reacted in the agar gel diffusion (AGD) test and which had equi factor(s) activity, was partially purified from the culture supernatant of Rhodococcus equi by successive column chromatography on diethylaminoethyl cellulose and Sepharose 4B . Employing a standard foal serum, the concentration of this antigen was adjusted for the AGD test . Optimal dilutions of the antigen reacted in the AGD test with sera from foals naturally infected with serologically different R . equi . The antigen prepared was considered suitable for use in field surveys of R . equi infection . Accordingly, four groups of sera were tested: those from 18 foals diagnosed as being infected with R . equi, those from 54 control foals with culture-negative R . equi pneumonia, arthritis or cellulitis, those from 46 diseased foals suspected of having R . equi infection and those from 51 clinically normal foals . A positive precipitation reaction was observed with sera from 100% of the first group, 69.5% of the third group and 17.7% of the fourth group . A negative reaction was obtained with sera from 100% of the second group.

Pathol Biol (Paris), 1987 Sep, 35(7), 1075 - 80
{New species of the genus Listeria: Listeria seeligeri}; Rocourt J et al.; Listeria seeligeri is a recently described species which shares 28% to 1% DNA relatedness with the other species of the genus Listeria . G + C% content of the type strain is 36 . Peptidoglycan type (variation A1 gamma) as well as teichoic acids are identical to those found in L . monocytogenes . L . seeligeri can be easily distinguished from the other species using the following markers: hemolysis (CAMP-tests with Staphylococcus aureus and Rhodococcus equi) and acid production from D-xylose, L-rhamnose and alpha-methyl-D-mannoside . No specific antigen allow to characterize L . seeligeri strains which belong to serogroups 1/2 (81%), 4 (12%) and 6 (6%) . 85% of these strains proved to be phage typable . So far, more than 100 strains were isolated, mainly in Europe, from environment and animal healthy carriers . Unless one case of meningitis in human, strains of this species are experimentally non virulent.

Antibiot Med Biotekhnol, 1987 Aug, 32(8), 576 - 8
{Comparison of the sensitivity of Rhodococcus rubropertinctus R, S and M variants to antibiotic action}; Mil'ko ES et al.; Comparison of sensitivity of 63 clones of R, S and M variants of Rhodococcus rubropertinctus 104 to 6 antibiotics showed that sensitivity of the variants was similar only to erythromycin . Their sensitivity to penicillin, streptomycin, chlortetracycline, rifampicin and actinomycin C was different . Still, they preserved similar regularity: M cells were the most sensitive and R cells were the most resistant . There was a 1.5-3 fold difference in sensitivity of R and M variants to the antibiotics . The number and rate of chlortetracycline absorption by R cells were lower than those of S and especially M cells which must condition their higher resistance to the antibiotic.

Vet Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 14(3), 329 - 36
Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in 48 foals: response to antimicrobial therapy; Sweeney CR et al.; Case records of 48 foals with pneumonia due to Rhodococcus equi were reviewed . Twenty of the 48 foals survived and 28 died or were euthanized . There was no significant difference between the survivors and non-survivors in the age of onset of illness, duration of illness prior to admission, the mean white blood cell (WBC) count, or the mean plasma fibrinogen content . All foals had R . equi isolated from a tracheobronchial aspirate or lung specimens obtained at necropsy . All organisms were susceptible in vitro (Kirby-Bauer) to erythromycin and gentamicin . Susceptibilities to other drugs were: trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (88%), tetracycline (87%), chloramphenicol (83%); 97% were resistant to cephalothin and 83% to penicillin . Thirteen of the 20 surviving foals were treated with erythromycin and/or rifampin . A decline in mortality rate was observed with the introduction of the combination of erythromycin and rifampin . None of the 17 foals treated with penicillin and gentamicin survived . Chronic, active, non-septic synovitis was confirmed in 17 foals . These foals had joint distension with mild or no apparent lameness.

Vet Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 14(3), 321 - 7
Humoral immune response of foals to experimental infection with Rhodococcus equi; Takai S et al.; Humoral immune response to Rhodococcus equi in experimentally infected foals was studied with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method . Class-specific antibodies were measured by ELISA in the sera of foals after intratracheal or oral inoculation with R . equi ATCC 6939 or T 48 and in the lung washings of a foal after intratracheal inoculation or of normal horses . After intratracheal or oral inoculation with R . equi, serum antibodies were first detected in immunoglobulin G (IgG) followed by IgM and IgA classes, but significant levels of IgM and IgA developed only in the foal infected intratracheally with R . equi T 48 . Only the foal infected intratracheally with T 48 developed pneumonia . Anti-R . equi IgG and IgA antibodies appeared in lung washings of the intratracheally infected foal . There were differences in the antibody response to R . equi among the intratracheally infected foals, the orally infected foal and the naturally infected foal . These results suggest that the humoral immune response to R . equi may be affected by the type of R . equi strain and the route and extent of R . equi exposure.

Vet Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 14(3), 307 - 20
Interaction of Rhodococcus equi with phagocytic cells from R . equi-exposed and non-exposed foals; Hietala SK et al.; The interaction of Rhodococcus equi with alveolar macrophages from adult horses, foals experimentally exposed to R . equi (sensitized foals) and non-exposed foals was studied using in vitro bactericidal assays, cytochemical staining and transmission electron microscopy . It was demonstrated that R . equi is a facultative intracellular parasite, able to survive and multiply within the alveolar macrophages of the host by interfering with phagosome-lysosome fusion . Opsonization of R . equi with antibody against capsular components was associated with increased phagosome-lysosome fusion and significantly enhanced (P less than 0.05) killing of the organism by alveolar macrophages from non-exposed foals . Macrophages from non-exposed foals were able to ingest the non-opsonized organism, but unable to kill greater than 65% of the infective dose by 6 h post-exposure . Alveolar macrophages from sensitized foals behaved as adult macrophages, able to kill greater than 95% of the infective dose by 6 h . Lymphocyte factors, derived by in vitro incubation of sensitized peripheral blood lymphocytes with R . equi surface antigens, enhanced macrophage bactericidal activity . Macrophages from non-exposed foals incubated in the presence of the lymphocyte factors had a 50% increase in killing of R . equi, while sensitized macrophages incubated with lymphocyte factors had a greater than 100% increase in killing capacity.

Vet Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 14(3), 295 - 305
Electron microscopic investigation of intracellular events after ingestion of Rhodococcus equi by foal alveolar macrophages; Zink MC et al.; It has been suggested that R . equi causes pulmonary disease in foals by persisting within the lung as a facultative intracellular parasite of alveolar macrophages . This paper describes an ultrastructural study of the intracellular events after ingestion of R . equi by foal alveolar macrophages, in an attempt to determine the mechanism of intracellular survival of R . equi . Secondary lysosomes of alveolar macrophages recovered from foals by bronchoalveolar lavage were labelled with electron-dense ferritin, and the cells were challenged with either viable or formalin-killed R . equi . After 0-, 3-, 8- or 24-h incubation, the cells were fixed and processed for electron microscopy . There was no evidence of phagosome-lysosome fusion after ingestion of either viable or non-viable R . equi by foal alveolar macrophages . Rhodococcus equi persisted and multiplied within dilated phagosomes, which were often lined by elongate microvillous structures . After 24-h incubation, 75% of the ingested bacteria were still structurally intact . Macrophages with ingested viable R . equi were irreversibly damaged and released intracellular bacteria into the surrounding medium . These data confirm that R . equi is a facultative intracellular parasite of foal alveolar macrophages and is able to persist and multiply within the phagosome, apparently inhibiting phagosome-lysosome fusion by some as yet unknown mechanism.

Vet Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 14(3), 287 - 94
The interaction of Rhodococcus equi and foal neutrophils in vitro; Yager JA et al.; Polymorphonuclear neutrophil leukocytes (PMNL) from 8 healthy foals (2-14 weeks of age) and 2 foals with bacterial pneumonia were separated from whole blood using a 2 step Percoll gradient . Purified PMNL were tested for bactericidal function against Rhodococcus equi and Staphylococcus aureus in the presence of normal horse serum . The percentage uptake after a 15-min pre-incubation of PMNL and bacteria was also calculated . Ultrastructural examination of the interaction of R . equi and normal foal PMNL was performed after 15 min incubation . Results indicated that foal PMNL effectively phagocytose and destroy R . equi and S . aureus in the presence of normal horse serum . The mean percent uptake for R . equi was 99.3 +/- 0.4% and for S . aureus 99.9 +/- 0.1% . Further, 97.8 +/- 0.1% ingested R . equi and 98.4 +/- 0.1% ingested S . aureus were destroyed in the 15-min incubation period . Over the 3-h incubation, 91.9% of remaining R . equi were killed, but only 49.2 +/- 31.9% of S . aureus (P less than 0.01) . Total bactericidal effect of foal PMNL, however, was 99.3 +/- 0.4% against R . equi and 99.9 +/- 0.1% against S . aureus . The percentage uptake and total bactericidal efficacy of neutrophils from sick foals was greater than 95% . Ultrastructural examination of the PMNL-R . equi interaction after 15 min incubation revealed phagocytosis of the bacteria and morphologic changes consistent with neutrophil degranulation . This study suggests that a defect in PMNL bactericidal capability is not likely to be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of R . equi pneumonia in foals.

Vet Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 14(3), 277 - 86
Rhodococcus equi: equine neutrophil chemiluminescent and bactericidal responses to opsonizing antibody; Martens RJ et al.; The opsonic capacity of serum containing R . equi-specific antibody was compared with antibody-deficient sera using luminol-dependent chemilumenscence (LDCL) and bactericidal assays . These assays incorporated peripheral blood polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes (PMNL) exposed to R . equi opsonized with neonatal equine pre-colostral serum (control) or serum from foals with R . equi infections (principal) . All sera were complement inactivated at 56 degrees C for 30 min . Bacteria were obtained from the lung of a foal with R . equi pneumonia . Neutrophils were obtained from one adult horse for LDCL and another for bactericidal assays . Chemiluminescence of PMNL exposed to R . equi opsonized with control or principal sera was measured in a liquid scintillation counter . Mean peak LDCL within 1 h was significantly (P less than 0.01) higher with principal sera (2.4 X 10(5) cpm) than with control sera (0.018 X 10(5) cpm) . A radioisotope bactericidal assay was used to determine the effect of control or principal sera on PMNL capacity to kill R . equi . Mean peak percent kill of R . equi by PMNL within 2 h was significantly (P less than 0.01) higher with principal sera (95.2%) than with control sera (54.6%) . Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) values for R . equi-specific antibody were determined on all sera . Mean ELISA values were significantly (P less than 0.01) higher for principal sera (71.8) than for controls (0.0) . This investigation documents the presence and biological effectiveness of opsonic activity in complement-inactivated sera from foals with R . equi infections and R . equi-specific antibody.

Vet Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 14(3), 269 - 76
Dynamics of equi-factor antibodies in sera of foals kept on farms with differing histories of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia; Skalka B; The occurrence of equi-factor antibodies in sera of mares and their foals was studied on two horse breeding farms, one of which (Farm A) had a positive and the other (farm B) a negative history of R . equi infection of foals . The equi-factor neutralization (EFN) and the reverse Elek-Ouchterlony (REO) precipitation were used as assays . On Farm A, 25 mares positive in both tests (EFN+ REO+) and 25 mares negative in both tests (EFN- REO-) was chosen . On Farm B, a group of 25 EFN- REO+ mares and a group of 25 EFN- REO- mares were studied . The first serum samplings in mares were 1 week ante partum and the subsequent samplings in both mares and foals were in the first week after birth and at the end of every month of the foals' age up to 6 months, with further samplings at 8 and 12 months . A higher number of seropositive foals was found on Farm A, but the difference between Farms A and B was not significant . The smallest number, with the lowest titres, was among the foals of EFN- REO+ dams . The number of foals positive in the REO test was higher than in the EFN test . The onset of EFN positivity was found in foals on both farms in the first month of their age, always culminating in the third and fourth months in titres varying between 1:64 and 1:2048, after which time it fell until it disappeared altogether or reached values of 1:4 . The results showed the widespread nature of subclinical infection with R . equi on horse farms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Vet Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 14(3), 259 - 68
Experimental infection of mice with Rhodococcus equi: differences in virulence between strains; Bowles PM et al.; The growth kinetics in outbred mice of clinical and environmental isolates of Rhodococcus equi were followed by serial bacterial enumeration of organ homogenates . Clinical isolates multiplied until Day 4 before being progressively cleared, but could still be recovered from the liver at 3-4 weeks post-infection . Intravenous inoculation of clinical strains was associated with histopathological responses very similar to those elicited by intravenous infection with various facultative intracellular parasites . Whereas lesions in mice and foals at 7-9 days following respiratory infection are those of severe bronchopneumonia with massive consolidation, a week later the patterns of host response have diverged as the murine lesions resolve . The type strain, NCTC 1621 and 4-6 environmental isolates were eliminated without prior multiplication and these strains caused negligible lesions . The two environmental strains which behaved as the clinical strains were recovered from a stud with an R . equi problem . No association of colonial morphology of R . equi with virulence was apparent.

Vet Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 14(3), 233 - 9
Ecology of Rhodococcus equi in horses and their environment on horse-breeding farms; Takai S et al.; Quantitative culture of R . equi in the feces of dams and foals, in the air of the stalls and in the soil of the paddocks was carried out on three horse-breeding farms during the foaling season . The isolation rates of R . equi from the feces of dams from the 3 farms suddenly increased to approximately 80% at the end of March, when the snow in the paddocks finished melting, and remained at that level during April and May . The mean number of R . equi and the isolation rate of R . equi from the feces of dams on the farms were investigated for 5 weeks before and 5 weeks after delivery . During the 10 weeks, there were no differences in the isolation rate or in the mean number of R . equi from the feces of dams . R . equi was first isolated from the feces of the foals born in February and the middle of March at 3-4 weeks of age, on the other hand, it was first isolated from the feces of foals born in the end of March and April at 1-2 weeks of age . The number of R . equi in the soil collected from the paddocks used by dams during the winter was approximately 10(2)-10(4) g-1 of soil during the experiment . R . equi was isolated from the air in the stalls at the end of March and the number of R . equi in the air increased particularly on dry and windy days.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Vet Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 14(3), 337 - 42
Use of erythromycin-rifampin combination in treatment of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia; Hillidge CJ; The selection of lipid-soluble antibiotics capable of intracellular penetration is considered critical for the successful treatment of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia and lung abscesses in foals . Two such antibiotics: erythromycin (25 mg kg-1, three times daily) and rifampin (5 mg kg-1 twice daily) have been used in combination for this purpose at the University of Florida since 1981 . Positive evidence of R . equi was present on culture of tracheal aspirates in 57 foals, most of which exhibited radiographic evidence of extensive lung abscessation . The duration of therapy ranged from 4 to 9 weeks . Mild diarrhea was sometimes noted, but was never severe enough to require the termination of therapy . No other adverse side effects were apparent . Judged by a return of chest radiographs and hematologic parameters to normal, 50 of the 57 foals were considered to have recovered from the disease; a success rate of 88%.

Vet Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 14(3), 225 - 32
The pathogenesis of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals; Yager JA; The pathogenesis of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals is reviewed . The main routes of infection are respiratory and alimentary . The latter is probably the chief route of exposure in all foals and probably leads to development of specific immunity . Susceptible foals, those whose maternal immunity wanes before generation of their own immune response, readily develop disease if exposed aerogenously to sufficient numbers of R . equi . Management and environmental circumstances have a major role to play in determining the magnitude of this challenge and, therefore, in the prevalence of the disease . Infection of a naive foal leads to severe, suppurative bronchopneumonia with suppurative lymphadenitis of regional nodes and, in approximately 50% of animals, to necrotizing enterocolitis . The foal is uniquely susceptible to R . equi pneumonia; comparable experimental infections do not produce progressive destructive pulmonary lesions in other animal species . In the naive foal lung, R . equi behaves as a facultative intracellular pathogen, avoiding destruction within the alveolar macrophage by inhibiting phagolysosome fusion and possibly by causing lysosomal degranulation . The role of putative virulence factors, such as equi factor, remains to be elucidated.

Vet Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 14(3), 215 - 24
The immunological response of foals to Rhodococcus equi: a review; Woolcock JB et al.; Normal horses of all ages regularly show evidence of having responded immunologically to R . equi, thus adding serological support to epidemiological evidence that this organism is a normal intestinal inhabitant . More animals from "diseased" farms show a stronger antibody response when compared with foals from "healthy" farms . Various serological tests have been used to detect evidence of infection and to relate antibody level to severity of disease . Anti-R . equi IgG antibody levels, as measured by ELISA, are raised significantly during natural infection . Clinical severity of pneumonia can be correlated with lower specific antibody responses . Following experimental infection, immunological responses can be detected by complement fixation, indirect immunofluorescence, ELISA, lymphocyte blastogenesis and skin testing . Very little work has been carried out to evaluate vaccines against R . equi infection and results have not been encouraging . Success in treatment has been reported following passive immunisation . Administration of immune leucocyte extracts has had no effect on morbidity or mortality rates . The widespread distribution of this organism, together with the relative infrequency of disease caused by it, suggest that R . equi may initiate infection only in such circumstances as a very high infectious challenge, immunological immaturity or deficiency in the host and genetic predisposition.

Vet Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 14(3), 211 - 4
Epidemiology of Rhodococcus equi infection in horses; Prescott JF; Current understanding of the epidemiology of Rhodococcus equi infection on horse farms is reviewed . Infection is widespread in herbivores and their environment, because herbivore manure supplies the simple organic acid substrates on which the organism thrives . There is a progressive development of infection in the soil on horse farms with prolonged use, because: (1) there is a continual supply of nutrients; (2) the organism multiplies progressively as temperatures rise; (3) the bacterium has a robust nature . While this aerobic organism fails to multiply in the largely anaerobic intestine of the adult horse, multiplication to very large numbers may occur in the intestine of a foal in its first 8-12 weeks of life . Farms used for foal breeding over many years may thus become particularly dangerous for foals . Areas for future study include the effectiveness of decontamination, manure-removal programs and dust reduction in reducing challenge to susceptible foals.

Can J Vet Res, 1987 Jul, 51(3), 301 - 5
Antibody response of horses to Rhodococcus equi antigens; Chirino-Trejo JM et al.; The antigens extracted from strains belonging to seven capsular serotypes of Rhodococcus equi, as well as from two wild strains isolated from pneumonic foals, were examined . Whole-cell antigens and soluble products present in broth culture supernatants were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, electroblotted onto nitrocellulose, and stained with serum from hyperimmunized rabbits or foals . Foal sera used included sera from pneumonic animals with known titer to equi factors; from animals bled monthly on a farm with enzootic pneumonia, and from animals bled monthly on a farm with no history of R . equi pneumonia . The humoral response of foals to somatic antigen preparations was negligible, with few differences noted between sera from healthy, subclinically affected, and sick foals . The humoral response to R . equi broth culture supernatant products appeared more marked and was related to equi factor antibody titer . These findings suggest that the humoral response to R . equi whole-cell antigens is unimportant in protection against disease, which is consistent with the behavior of the organism as a facultative intracellular pathogen.

Can J Vet Res, 1987 Jul, 51(3), 297 - 300
Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of whole-cell preparations of Rhodococcus equi; Chirino-Trejo JM et al.; The whole-cell proteins of ten strains of Rhodococcus equi isolated from horses, pigs, or humans, including the type strain ATCC 6939, were examined by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . The protein profiles of seven different capsular serotypes and the type strain were very similar when bacteria were cultured under the same conditions . Protein profiles were largely unaffected by incubation at two temperatures (30 degrees C, 37 degrees C) or times (12 h, 48 h) . There were generally minor differences in protein profiles between strains grown in different media (brain heart infusion, nutrient, minca broths, tryptic soy-blood agar) with the marked exception of a prominent diffuse 17.5 kd protein which was expressed in nutrient broth . This protein was not produced by the type strain and was lost on repeated passage in vitro (50th, 100th passage) in two of three other strains examined.

Can J Vet Res, 1987 Jul, 51(3), 290 - 6
Experimental infection of piglets by aerosols of Rhodococcus equi; Zink MC et al.; The purpose of this study was to investigate experimental infection of the piglet as a model of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in the foal . Three litters of eight piglets each were exposed to an aerosol of 3.4 X 10(7) R . equi per piglet per day for seven consecutive days . Over the next 23 days the piglets were observed for clinical signs of disease . Periodically after infection one piglet from each litter was killed, the lungs were cultured quantitatively for R . equi and the gross and microscopic pulmonary lesions were assessed . The only clinical evidence of disease was the occurrence of elevated temperatures in the infected piglets . Rhodococcus equi was slowly cleared from the piglets' lungs during the 23 days following aerosolization . Piglets sacrificed seven to ten days after aerosolization had the most extensive pulmonary lesions, consisting of severe consolidation of the cranioventral lobes . Microscopic examination revealed thickened interalveolar septa and alveoli containing many neutrophils and macrophages with intracytoplasmic Gram-positive coccobacilli . The pulmonary lesions in these piglets differed from those of naturally infected foals in that they were not characterized by macrophage-rich abscesses and the infection gradually resolved.

J Appl Bacteriol, 1987 Jul, 63(1), 27 - 38
Presumptive diagnosis of pulmonary nocardiosis: value of sputum microscopy; Osoagbaka OU et al.; Three hundred samples of sputum from patients suffering from various forms of pulmonary disorders were homogenized by pancreatic digestion, examined microscopically and cultured on brain heart infusion agar, trypticase soy agar, in brain heart infusion broth, trypticase soy broth and McClung's carbon-free broth . Several elements of varying morphological forms, believed to be from aerobic actinomycetes or nocardias, were observed in 16 cases . Six strains of Nocardia asteroides, one N . brasiliensis, eight of Rhodococcus species and one Micromonospora were isolated and studied at various stages of growth . Several nocardial and rhodococcal elements closely resembling those observed in the Gram-stained sputa were found . It is suggested that some of those in the sputum were from nocardias and that their appearance in sputum, as seen from the Gram-stained slide, when combined with clinical symptoms can serve for a presumptive diagnosis of pulmonary nocardiosis pending a more definitive identification by a specialized laboratory.

J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1987 Jun 15, 190(12), 1559 - 61
Cellulitis and subcutaneous abscesses caused by Rhodococcus equi infection in a foal; Perdrizet JA et al.; Cellulitis and subcutaneous abscess formation was diagnosed in a 3-month-old Thoroughbred filly . Clinical signs consisted of a large ulcerated plaque, with satellite pustules on the medial aspect of the right hock and subcutaneous abscesses in the right inguinal and mammary gland areas . Laboratory analysis revealed mature neutrophilia . Rhodococcus equi was isolated from the cellulitis and the subcutaneous abscess . Oral administration of erythromycin and rifampin for 35 days resulted in a clinical cure.

Mycopathologia, 1987 Jun, 98(3), 129 - 31
Actinomycetoma caused by Rhodococcus spp; Severo LC et al.; We report a case of mycetoma caused by Rhodococcus in a 62-year-old man who presented with multiple draining sinuses of the left foot . Biopsy specimen showed granulomatous reaction and microabcesses contained granules . These granules were composed by rod and coccoid Gram-positive and partially acid-fast elements . Culture grew a 'Nocardia-like organism', confirmed at the Center for Disease Control as Rhodococcus spp.

Mikrobiologiia, 1987 May-Jun, 56(3), 472 - 8
{Hydrocarbon-oxidizing microflora from the water of the Baltic sea and Kurshsky bay polluted after a fuel oil spill}; Koronelli TV et al.; Microbiological studies were conducted in the water of the Baltic sea and the Kurshsky bay polluted with mazut as the result of a tanker wreck in November 1981 as well as in the water of nonpolluted regions . Within the summer of 1982 and 1983, 755 bacterial strains were isolated from water samples taken at three different depths . Bacteria belonging to the genera Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus + Mycobacterium and Arthrobacter predominated in the hydrocarbon-oxidizing cenoses of the Baltic sea and the Kurshsky bay . The central part of the Baltic sea pure from mazut did not differ from the polluted regions in the qualitative composition of the hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacterial flora . Rhodococci and mycobacteria prevailed in the water near harbours, and pseudomonades, in the open waters . The greatest variety of species was found at a depth of 1 m . The proportion between the predominating genera of hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria was not stable . The state of studies conducted with the hydrocarbon-oxidizing microflora is analysed and the factors causing discrepancies are discussed . One must keep in mind that it is necessary to use a strictly elective medium and to examine cultures with a microscope many times throughout their growth in the isolation and identification of hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria . The interrelationship is analysed between the predominant genera of hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria.

J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1987 Mar 15, 190(6), 689 - 91
Acquired immunodeficiency in a seven-year-old horse; Freestone JF et al.; A 7-year-old horse with no previous history of illness was determined to have a systemic infection of Rhodococcus equi . Rhodococcus equi was isolated from blood, tracheal fluid, and feces . Lymphopenia, failure to respond to concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin lymphocyte stimulation testing, decreased concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig)M, IgA, and IgG, low R equi antibody titer, histologic depletion of lymphoid tissue, and a failure to respond to antigenic stimulation led to the conclusion that both humoral and cell-mediated immunity were compromised . No cause for the acquired immunodeficiency could be determined.

J Pharmacobiodyn, 1987 Mar, 10(3), 113 - 23
Isolation of mycolic acid-containing glycolipids in Nocardia rubra and their granuloma forming activity in mice; Yano I et al.; Three classes of glycolipids (TMM (trehalose monomycolate), TDM (trehalose dimycolate) and GM (glucose mycolate} containing mycolic acids as hydrophobic components were isolated from a strain of Nocardia rubra (Rhodococcus rubrum) and their structures have been partially characterized using infrared spectrometry, gas-liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry . Acid or alkaline hydrolysis of isolated glycolipids revealed that trehalose was the sole water soluble component in TMM and TDM, while glucose was the hydrophilic component in GM . On the other hand, saturated, monoenoic and dienoic mycolic acids with carbon atoms ranging from C36 to C50 contained constituents of fatty acid moiety at C44 . From the analytical results, TMM, TDM and GM were tentatively identified as trehalose monomycolate, trehalose dimycolate and glucose monomycolate, respectively . The mycolic acid composition differed significantly by the glycolipid classes: the highest amount of saturated mycolic acids were detected in TMM and GM, while a significant amount of dienoic mycolic acids have been found in TDM and the cell wall bound lipid fraction (BL) . All these three classes of glycolipids containing mycolic acids showed strong granuloma forming activity in lungs and spleen of ICR mice 1 week after intravenous injection of 100 to 500 micrograms glycolipid in W/O/W micelles containing Freund's incomplete adjuvant . These results indicated that glycolipids containing shorter carbon chain mycolic acids ranging C40-50, corresponding to less acyl numbers or monosaccharides such as glucose, can also produce foreign body-type granuloma in mice without protein antigens.

J Bacteriol, 1987 Feb, 169(2), 675 - 81
Dechlorination and para-hydroxylation of polychlorinated phenols by Rhodococcus chlorophenolicus; Apajalahti JH et al.; In this paper we show that a polychlorophenol degrader Rhodococcus chlorophenolicus PCP-I initially attacked polychlorinated phenols (pentachlorophenol, 2,3,4,5-, 2,3,4,6-, and 2,3,5,6-tetrachlorophenol, and 2,3,5- and 2,3,6-trichlorophenol) by tetra- or trichlorohydroquinone-producing para-hydroxylation . The novel hydroxyl group was set in position 4, whether or not a substrate had chlorine substituent in this position . The hydroxyl was in each case derived from water molecules, as was shown by following the incorporation of oxygen from H2(18)O into the reaction products . Nevertheless, the para-hydroxylation reaction required the presence of molecular oxygen, whereas further metabolism of the reaction product, tetrachlorohydroquinone, proceeded also in anaerobiosis . All polychlorinated phenols were readily transformed at 41 degrees C, but none were transformed at 44 degrees C . In contrast to this, tetrachlorohydroquinone was metabolized at a high rate at 50 degrees C, but was not metabolized at 55 degrees C . Polychlorinated phenols were specific inducers of the para-hydroxylating enzymes; para-hydroxylated reaction products did not induce these enzymes . On the other hand, the degradation of tri- and tetrachlorohydroquinone was induced by any of the chlorophenols and also by hydroquinones.

J Gen Microbiol, 1987 Feb, 133 ( Pt 2), 369 - 73
Antitumour activity of purified arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex of the cell wall skeleton of Rhodococcus lentifragmentus; Hirai O et al.; Antitumour activity of arabinogalactan peptidoglycan (AP) complex (peptidoglycan and arabinogalactan liberated by an acid or alkaline treatment from Rhodococcus lentifragmentus AN-115 cell wall skeleton) was examined in mice and compared with that of the cell wall skeleton . The growth of syngeneic fibrosarcoma Meth A cells after implantation in BALB/c mice was significantly suppressed by AP complex, and also regressed after intratumoral injection of AP complex on days 1, 4 and 7 after tumour implantation . Although the activity of peptidoglycan was less than that of AP complex, peptidoglycan also showed both tumour-suppressive and regressive activities . Arabinogalactan did not show antitumour activity . It is interesting that peptidoglycan has an important role in the effect against tumours.

J Appl Bacteriol, 1987 Feb, 62(2), 151 - 5
Degradations of 4-cholesten-3-one and 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione by cholesterol-degrading bacteria; Watanabe K et al.; Degradations of 4-cholesten-3-one and 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione, which are intermediates of microbial conversion of cholesterol, by cholesterol-degrading bacteria (12 strains of the genus Rhodococcus isolated from food of animal origin and 12 culture collection strains) were examined . All strains had the ability to degrade 4-cholesten-3-one without necessarily being able to degrade cholesterol . On the other hand, the bacteria were divided into three groups with little or no (0-10%), intermediate (10-70%) and high (70-100%) degradation abilities for 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione.

J Basic Microbiol, 1987, 27(4), 229 - 32
Phenol hydroxylase from Rhodococcus sp . P 1; Straube G; The enzyme phenol hydroxylase (EC 1.14.13.7) was determined and characterized in crude extracts of Rhodococcus sp . P 1 . This enzyme catalyzed the first step of phenol degradation . It was inducible, had a pH optimum of 7.9 and a temperature optimum at 20 degrees C and catalyzed also the hydroxylation of some other phenolic compounds.

Microbiol Immunol, 1987, 31(4), 289 - 311
Possible existence of a novel amphipathic immunostimulator in the phenol-water extracts of Mycobacteriaceae; Ikeda-Fujita T et al.; The extracts having diverse immunostimulating activities were obtained as a water-phase fraction from four bacterial species representing the 4 genera (Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Gordona, and Rhodococcus) of Mycobacteriaceae by the phenol-water method, which is commonly used for extraction of endotoxic lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from gram-negative bacteria and amphipathic substances from gram-positives . These fractions, especially those of G . aurantiaca and R . terrae, showed strong stimulatory effects on murine splenocytes, macrophages of mice and guinea pigs, the immunoadjuvant activities in guinea pigs and mice, and the distinct activities inducing a tumor necrosis factor and interferons alpha/beta and gamma in primed mice . The fractions from G . aurantiaca and R . terrae exhibited potent pyrogenicity and the ability to activate the clotting enzyme cascade of the horseshoe crab (Tachypleus tridentatus) . Some of these biological activities were not very different from the potency of the reference endotoxic LPS derived from Escherichia coli or Fusobacterium nucleatum . But the test fractions neither showed the activity to prepare rabbit skin to the local Shwartzman reaction, nor reacted with anti-lipid A conventional and monoclonal antibodies . Furthermore, unlike LPS, these fractions stimulated the splenocytes of C3H/HeJ mice (LPS-Nonresponder) . Although the fractions showing the above biological activities have not yet been adequately purified, they contained polysaccharides, whose main constituent sugar is mannose with a smaller amount of arabinose, fatty acids consisting primarily of palmitic, stearic, and tuberculostearic acids, and small amounts of peptides and amino sugars . Since components characteristic of known immunomodulators of bacterial origin, namely endotoxins (lipid A's), cell wall peptidoglycans, lipoteichoic acids, cord factors (trehalose dimycolates), or deoxyribonucleic acids, were practically not detected in these fractions, the agent responsible for the above bioactivities is considered to be a novel substance different from the known, bacterial immunomodulators.

Mikrobiologiia, 1986 Nov-Dec, 55(6), 918 - 23
{Regulation of terephthalate catabolism in Rhodococcus rubropertinctus}; Naumova RP et al.; The regulation of terephthalate catabolism was studied in Rhodococcus rubropertinctus which decomposed this synthetic monomer . The pathway (a) of terephthalate (TP) catabolism is as follows: TP----benzoate----4-hydroxybenzoate----protocatechuate----pyrocatechol-- --cycle ortho-cleavage . The following results were obtained when studying why two other catabolic pathways were realized if benzoate and 4-hydroxybenzoate were taken as a sole carbon source, namely, (b) benzoate----pyrocatechol----cycle cleavage and (c) 4-hydroxybenzoate----protocatechuate----cycle cleavage . TP seemed to cause the divergence of pathways (a) and (b) by repressing the system of benzoate oxidation to pyrocatechol . In pathway (c), benzoate repressed the synthesis of enzymes which catalysed protocatechuate oxidation . Pathway (b) was switched over to (a) when the strain was grown in a medium containing TP and benzoate at a benzoate concentration above 5 mM . Here, the concentration of benzoate (first exogenous and later formed from TP) played a key role . R . rubropertinctus growth in a medium with TP and glucose had diauxic characteristics.

J Biol Chem, 1986 Oct 25, 261(30), 14278 - 82
A novel glycosphingolipid-degrading enzyme cleaves the linkage between the oligosaccharide and ceramide of neutral and acidic glycosphingolipids; Ito M et al.; A novel glycosphingolipid-degrading enzyme was found in the cultured supernatant of Rhodococcus sp . G-74-2 . It was purified 34.7-fold from the supernatant with 32.2% recovery by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by Sephadex G-100 chromatography . The enzyme was demonstrated capable of cleaving the linkage between the oligosaccharide and ceramide of various acidic and neutral glycosphingolipids, producing intact oligosaccharides and ceramides . However, it was noted to hardly make any attack on linkages between monosaccharides and ceramides (cerebrosides) or between oligosaccharides and diacylglycerol (glycoglycerolipids) . The enzyme preparation was completely free from various exoglycosidases and proteases . Furthermore, it was found to degrade neither N-linked nor O-linked glycoproteins . This enzyme, which is tentatively called endoglycoceramidase, should greatly facilitate the study of glycosphingolipids.

J Appl Bacteriol, 1986 Oct, 61(4), 269 - 74
Characterization of production of cholesterol oxidases in three Rhodococcus strains; Aihara H et al.; The production of cholesterol oxidase in two strains of Rhodococcus equi No . 23 from butter, and Rhodococcus sp . No . 33 from bacon, which had properties on biochemical and physiological tests almost similar to the strains of R . equi, was compared with that of the type strain (ATCC 6939) of R . equi . The intensity of cholesterol oxidase activity, both extracellular and membrane-bound, from the three strains was in the order No . 23, ATCC 6939 and No . 33 . More extracellular enzyme was produced by strain No . 23 than by the other two strains . Halo formation on the agar medium containing cholesterol depended on the conversion of cholesterol to 4-cholesten-3-one by the extracellular cholesterol oxidase.

Mikrobiologiia, 1986 Sep-Oct, 55(5), 883 - 4
{Esterase activity of hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria}; Koronelli TV et al.; The activity of esterase was studied in bacteria oxidizing hydrocarbons and belonging to the genera Rhodococcus, Arthrobacter and Pseudomonas . Indophenyl acetate was used as a substrate of the reaction catalysed by the enzyme . Exocellular esterases were not found . Endocellular esterases differed in their activity and thermostability both among the genera and among species of one and the same genus.

J Gen Microbiol, 1986 Mar, 132 ( Pt 3), 853 - 6
Distribution and application of mycobactins for the characterization of species within the genus Rhodococcus; Hall RM et al.; Representatives of 11 species of Rhodococcus were examined for their ability to synthesize mycobactin, a lipid-soluble siderophore, following iron-limited growth on solidified glycerol/asparagine medium . Rhodococcus bronchialis, R . terrae and R . rubropertinctus formed mycobactins, whereas the remaining species (R . coprophilus, R . equi, R . erythropolis, R . rhodnii, R . rhodochrous, R . ruber, R . maris and R . luteus) failed to synthesize these compounds even under conditions of strictly iron-limited growth . The mycobactins from R . terrae and R . rubropertinctus showed close similarity by thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography and could be easily distinguished from that of R . bronchialis.

J Appl Bacteriol, 1986 Mar, 60(3), 233 - 42
The metabolism of carbaryl by three bacterial isolates, Pseudomonas spp . (NCIB 12042 & 12043) and Rhodococcus sp . (NCIB 12038) from garden soil; Larkin MJ et al.; At an alkaline pH and in aqueous solution, carbaryl hydrolyses to form 1-naphthol, methylamine and carbon dioxide, but it is much more stable at an acid pH . Two bacterial isolated from garden soil, Pseudomonas sp . (NCIB 12042) and Rhodococcus sp . (NCIB 12038), could grow on carbaryl as sole carbon and nitrogen source at pH 6.8 but failed to metabolize carbaryl rapidly . Both could use 1-naphthol as sole carbon source and NCIB 12042 metabolized 1-naphthol via salicylic acid which induced higher expression of enzymes in the pathway . Strain NCIB 12038 metabolized 1-naphthol via salicylic and gentisic acids . In contrast, Pseudomonas sp . (NCIB 12043) was selected in a soil perfusion column enrichment at pH 5.2 and metabolized carbaryl rapidly to 1-naphthol and methylamine . 1-Naphthol was metabolized via gentisic acid . Neither salicylate nor gentisate induced higher expression of enzymes for 1-naphthol catabolism in NCIB 12038 and NCIB 12043.

Mikrobiologiia, 1986 Jan-Feb, 55(1), 81 - 4
{Biological properties of the alpha-mannanase of Rhodococcus erythropolis}; Kovalenko EA et al.; When Rhodococcus erythropolis is cultivated under the submerged conditions in a medium containing yeast mannan as a sole carbon source, it synthesizes exocellular alpha-mannanase which hydrolyzes alpha-1,2 and alpha-1,3 bonds in a mannan molecule . The alpha-mannanase of R . erythropolis exerts distinct lectin properties under the conditions which entirely exclude its enzyme activity.

J Clin Microbiol, 1985 Sep, 22(3), 472 - 4
Meningitis caused by Gordona aurantiaca (Rhodococcus aurantiacus); Prinz G et al.; In a case of hairy cell leukemia, Gordona aurantiaca (Rhodococcus aurantiacus) was isolated from cerebrospinal fluid as the pathogen responsible for lethal infection of the central nervous system . The pathogen had been isolated previously from one case of pulmonary infection process only.

Eur J Biochem, 1985 Jul 1, 150(1), 129 - 34
The formaldehyde dehydrogenase of Rhodococcus erythropolis, a trimeric enzyme requiring a cofactor and active with alcohols; Eggeling L et al.; During growth on compounds containing methyl groups a formaldehyde dehydrogenase is induced in the gram-positive bacteria Rhodococcus erythropolis . This formaldehyde dehydrogenase has been purified to homogeneity using affinity chromatography and permeation chromatography . The isoelectric point of the enzyme was 4.7 . The molar mass of the native enzyme was determined as 130 000 g/mol . Sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis yielded a single subunit with a molar mass of 44000 g/mol . These results, together with cross-linking experiments which yielded monomer, dimer, and trimer bands, are consistent with a trimeric subunit structure of the formaldehyde dehydrogenase . A heat-stable cofactor of low molar mass was required for activity with formaldehyde as substrate . This cofactor was found to be oxidizable, but active only in its reduced form . Preparative electrofocusing revealed that the cofactor is a weak acid with a pK of about 6.5 . The enzyme was active with the homologous series of the primary alcohols, ethanol up to octanol, without requiring the presence of the cofactor . A mutant without formaldehyde dehydrogenase activity was not impaired in its growth with ethanol as substrate . It is suggested that the alcohols mimic the true substrate of the formaldehyde dehydrogenase, which could be a hydroxymethyl derivative of the cofactor, resulting from the addition of formaldehyde.

Intervirology, 1985, 23(2), 109 - 11
Characterization of phages derived from strains of Rhodococcus australis and R . equii; Hiddema R et al.; Rhodococcus australis strain CSIR-A201 and R . equii strain CSIR-A655 spontaneously liberated phages A and B, respectively . The phages have different host ranges, but both infect R . rubropertinctus ATCC 14352 . phage infection of strains resulted in stable lysogeny . The phages have similar morphologies and belong to the family Styloviridae . The DNA restriction enzyme patterns of the phages differ and do not correspond to those of actinophage phi EC . These temperate phages did not transduce prototrophic or antibiotic resistance markers to appropriate hosts.

Vet Immunol Immunopathol, 1984 Oct, 7(3-4), 315 - 24
Effect of Rhodococcus equi on equine polymorphonuclear leukocyte function; Ellenberger MA et al.; A procedure was developed for isolating large numbers of purified polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) from the peripheral blood of horses . Equine PMN function was evaluated by three procedures: 1) Staphylococcus aureus ingestion, 2) nitroblue tetrazolium reduction, and 3) iodination . Four preparations of R . equi were added to polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) in each test system . Live bacteria, heat-killed bacteria, the washed pellet from heat-killed bacteria, and the supernatant fluid from heat-killed bacteria were evaluated for effects on equine PMN function . None of the R . equi preparations had an effect on S . aureus ingestion by equine PMNs . Nitroblue tetrazolium reduction by PMNs, a measure of oxidative metabolism, was suppressed by pellet and supernatant fractions . Values for the iodination reaction were depressed by all R . equi preparations, indicating decreased activity of the myeloperoxidase-H2O2-halide system of the PMN . Further evaluation of the supernatant from heat-killed R . equi showed that it retained its inhibitory effect on iodination following autoclaving and/or passage through a 10,000 MW filter . R . equi fractions did not alter the enzymatic conversion of 125I to a protein-bound form in a PMN-free assay developed to evaluate this reaction . The presence of a surface component capable of inhibiting bactericidal mechanisms of the PMN may play an important role in intracellular survival of R . equi.

Vet Microbiol, 1984 Feb, 9(1), 65 - 76
Ecology of Rhodococcus equi; Barton MD et al.; A selective broth enrichment technique was used to study the distribution of Rhodococcus equi in soil and grazing animals . Rhodococcus equi was isolated from 54% of soils examined and from the gut contents, rectal faeces and dung of all grazing herbivorous species examined . Rhodococcus equi was not isolated from the faeces or dung of penned animals which did not have access to grazing . The isolation rate from dung was much higher than from other samples and this was found to be due to the ability of R . equi to multiply more readily in dung . Delayed hypersensitivity tests were carried out on horses, sheep and cattle, but only horses reacted significantly . The physiological characteristics of R . equi and the nature of its distribution in the environment suggested that R . equi is a soil organism.

Tubercle, 1983 Sep, 64(3), 211 - 6
Cross-reactivity between Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and various actinomycetes and related organisms; Ridell M; One hundred and forty-one strains of Actinomycetales and related organisms were investigated by immunodiffusion for the presence of antigens which cross-react with the antigens of M . tuberculosis H37Rv . The test strains comprised 86 different species names and 20 different genus names; they were mainly environmental organisms isolated from soil, plants, animals and such like . More than 90% of these strains were shown to have one or more antigens in common with the tubercle bacillus, and 77% had two or more antigens in common with this organism . Certain strains, of Nocardia and Rhodococcus, demonstrated abundant cross-reactivity with the tubercle bacilli, sharing up to 5 and 6 precipitinogens respectively.

Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1983 Sep, 255(2-3), 309 - 16
Sensitivity to capreomycin and prothionamide in strains of Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Rhodococcus, and related taxa for taxonomical purposes; Ridell M; Sensitivity to capreomycin and to prothionamide was analysed for 150 strains belonging to the genera Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Rhodococcus, and related taxa . The analyses showed, e.g., that strains of Mycobacterium chelonei and Nocardia brasiliensis were more resistant to capreomycin than the other strains tested and that M . farcinogenes differed from M . senegalense concerning sensitivity to this drug . The analysis showed, furthermore, that strains of Mycobacterium differ from those of Nocardia, Rhodococcus, "Mycobacterium album", and "Gordona aurantiaca" in being more sensitive to prothionamide than these organisms . Strains designated N . amarae were more sensitive to both drugs than were the other tested strains of Nocardia, which indicates that N . amarae diverges from the other species of this genus.

Microbiol Immunol, 1983, 27(10), 837 - 46
Serogrouping of Rhodococcus equi; Nakazawa M et al.; The serological relationships among 27 isolates of Rhodococcus equi selected from a total of 1,195 isolates were investigated by cross-agglutination and absorption tests . The presence of capsular material was demonstrated in all the 27 isolates by electron microscopic observation . Antisera were prepared by employing formalized antigen of each isolate . In the cross-agglutination test with formalized antigen, 13 antisera reacted with homologous antigens alone, but the remaining 14 antisera reacted not only with homologous antigens but also with one to four heterologous antigens . When these 14 antisera possessing heterologous agglutinins were absorbed with each of the cross-reacting antigens, 14 specific antisera were obtained . The cross-agglutination test with these 27 antisera proved the 27 strains examined to be serologically distinct from one another . These strains were designated serogroups 1 to 27 . Thus the same number of grouping antisera were prepared . The distribution of each serogroup among the 1,195 isolates and 15 reference strains was investigated by the slide agglutination test . All the strains were found to be groupable . Most of them belonged to serogroups 1 to 4, 7 to 9, 11, 14, and 15 . Of the serogroups designated, 4, 16, 2, 12, 21, 1, and 9 were identical with Prescott's serovars 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, respectively.

Z Allg Mikrobiol, 1983, 23(4), 235 - 46
Degradation of aniline and monochloroanilines by Rhodococcus sp . An 117 and a pseudomonad: a comparative study; Kaminski U et al.; Two newly isolated aniline-degrading bacterial strains were characterized with regard to their enzyme systems responsible for aniline catabolism . One of them identified as a Rhodococcus sp . metabolized aniline exclusively via the beta-ketoadipate pathway by means of inducible enzymes . The aniline-degrading enzyme system of the second isolate, presumably a pseudomonad, was shown to consist of an inducible aniline-converting enzyme and constitutive meta-pathway enzymes . Both isolates failed to metabolize monochlorinated anilines in the absence of additional carbon sources . To explain this the ring-cleaving enzymes of both isolates were examined for their substrate specificities . Furthermore, the effect of 4-chlorocatechol on the enzymes catalyzing aniline conversion and catechol oxygenation was investigated.

Ann Microbiol (Paris), 1983 Jan-Feb, 134A(1), 65 - 71
{Biochemical differentiation of the "Listeria monocytogenes" (sensu lato) genomic groups}; Rocourt J et al.; CAMP-tests with Staphylococcus aureus and Rhodococcus equi and acid production from D-xylose allowed to separate the five DNA relatedness groups described for Listeria monocytogenes sensu lato; acid production from L-rhamnose and alpha-methyl-D-mannoside are secondary markers.

J Infect, 1983 Jan, 6(1), 39 - 41
Recurrent skin infection with Rhodococcus in an immunosuppressed patient; Ellis-Pegler RB et al.; A renal transplant patient taking prednisone and azathioprine has had repeated episodes of skin infection with the soil saphrophyte Rhodococcus . Human disease with this organism has not been proved before . Although the lesions have always responded to antibiotics, frequent recurrence makes the long-term outlook uncertain.

Microbios, 1983, 36(145-46), 183 - 90
Fine structural studies of Rhodococcus species; Garrison RG et al.; Fine structural aspects of Rhodococcus rhodochrous and R . equi are described and illustrated by electron micrographs after staining of cells by a variety of electron cytochemical procedures . The cell contents of these actinomycetous bacteria were those of a typical prokaryotic cell and consistent with that observed for other species of the Actinomycetales . Fixation with either osmium tetroxide or permanganate indicated the presence of an electron opaque substance at the wall exterior of R . rhodochrous which is thought to be composed of protein . Ruthenium red and Alcian blue-lanthanum stains for mucosubstances revealed that both species possess a capsular substance thought to be composed of a mucopolysaccharide or mucopolysaccharide-protein complex . This substance was non-reactive toward the PATAg stain for polysaccharide macromolecules containing vicinal glycol groups.

Infection, 1982 Nov-Dec, 10(6), 343 - 6
{Rhodococcus isolated from a gluteal abscess}; Burger H et al.; The pathogenic role of the genus Rhodococcus as an infectious agent in human beings is very small . Its taxonomic allocation may be difficult since there is no systematic description of this bacterial group . This paper summarizes the international literature on the microbiologic diagnosis of Rhodococcus and the small number of known cases of Rhodococcus infections . A description is given of the first case of a post-injection gluteal abscess caused by a Rhodococcus sp.

J Gen Microbiol, 1982 Jun, 128(Pt 6), 1283 - 97
Numerical and chemical classification of Nocardia amarae; Goodfellow M et al.; Twenty-one strains of Nocardia amarae and marker cultures of Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Rhodococcus and the 'aurantiaca' taxon were subjected to numerical phenetic analyses using 92 unit characters . The data were examined using the simple matching (SSM), Jaccard (SJ) and pattern (DP) coefficients and clustering was achieved using the unweighted average linkage algorithm . Neither cluster nor aggregate cluster composition was markedly affected by the coefficient used or by test error, estimated at 1.5% . The N . amarae strains formed a distinct and homogeneous cluster which showed its highest similarity to phena equated with Nocardia asteroides, Nocardia brasiliensis and Nocardia otitidis-caviarum . The non-hydroxylated fatty acid composition and overall size of the mycolic acids was similar to that found to be characteristic of Nocardia sensu stricto, though the long-chain in the 2-position of the mycolic acids was relatively much richer in monounsaturated components . Nocardia amarae, in containing dihydrogenated menaquinones with nine isoprene units, is clearly distinguished from established representatives of Nocardia.

J Gen Microbiol, 1982 Jun, 128(Pt 6), 1299 - 307
Classification of Mycobacterium farcinogenes and Mycobacterium senegalense by immunodiffusion and thin-layer chromatography of long-chain components; Ridell M et al.; Comparative immunodiffusion studies and thin-layer chromatographic analyses of whole-organism acid methanolysates were performed on 37 strains of Mycobacterium farcinogenes, Mycobacterium senegalense and Nocardia farcinica . The latter were clearly distinguished from the mycobacteria in containing a single mycolic acid methyl ester and showing more precipitinogens with nocardial than with mycobacterial and rhodococcal reference systems . The distribution of precipitinogens showed that M . farcinogenes and M . senegalense were very closely related and that both showed a greater affinity to Mycobacterium fortuitum than to any of the other established species of Mycobacterium tested . The complex pattern of alpha-mycolates and characteristic polar mycolates found in both M . farcinogenes and M . senegalense has only previously been found in M . fortuitum and Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Mikrobiologiia, 1982 Mar-Apr, 51(2), 181 - 7
{Key Rhodococcus enzymes in the catabolism of aromatic compounds}; Dugan IN et al.; The enzyme apparatus involved in the catabolism of aromatic compounds in rhodococci is characterized by the presence of pyrocatechase and protocatechoate-3,4-dioxygenase as principal enzymes cleaving the aromatic cycle . Metapyrocatechase was found in about 30% of the rhodococci . All the enzymes are inducible . The inductor of pyrocatechase seems to be cyc-cys-muconate, and that of protocatechase appears to be 3-oxoadipate . The metapyrocatechase of rhodococci, in contrast to that of Pseudomonas, is not induced by benzoate, p-toluylate, p-xylene and phenol . The activity of metapyrocatechase rises 20-50 times comparing to the basal level only in the presence of p-cresol . The enzyme has a relatively low activity in rhodococci (50-200 nmole per 1 min per 1 mg of protein), though a very high affinity for methylcatechols . The activity of metapyrocatechase with methylcatechols is 2-5 times as high as that with catechol as a substrate, whereas the activity of pyrocatechase with methylcatechols is two times as low as that with catechol as a substrate . Such additional substrates as acetate, glycerol or fumarate have no effect on the qualitative composition of the key enzymes involved in the degradation of aromatic compounds in Rhodococcus carollinus 172 . Glucose represses the synthesis of enzymes cleaving the aromatic ring by 100% . Fumarate taken in a 5-fold excess inhibits the activity of catechol oxygenases by 40%; if it is taken in a 1000-fold excess, it inhibits the enzyme activity by 100%.

J Clin Microbiol, 1982 Mar, 15(3), 503 - 7
Routine test for in vitro differentiation of pathogenic and apathogenic Listeria monocytogenes strains; Skalka B et al.; The exosubstance of Rhodococcus equi in a prepurified form strongly enhanced the hemolytic effect of certain strains of Listeria monocytogenes . The strains which produced positive synergic hemolysis with this exosubstance were also pathogenic for guinea pigs and white mice . The other strains, which remained nonhemolytic in the presence of the R . equi . exosubstance, were apathogenic for those animals . A routine test was devised for the in vitro determination of the pathogenicity of L . monocytogenes strains.

Aust Vet J, 1982 Feb, 58(2), 67 - 9
Capsular serotypes of Rhodococcus equi; Mutimer MD et al.; One hundred strains of Rhodococcus equi from various animal species and sources in Australia were examined for capsular serotype . Eighty-four of the strains fell into the existing 7 serotypes, and just under half of the strains belonged to serotype 1 . Isolates from the intestines and faeces of horses, cattle, pigs and other species, and from soil, were found to belong to the same serotypes as those recovered from the lungs of foals with R . equi pneumonia . There was no clear relationships between capsular serotype and source of origin of the isolates.

J Reprod Fertil Suppl, 1982, 32, 497 - 505
Immunity to and immunotherapy for Rhodococcus equi; Wilks CR et al.; Immune responses to Rhodococcus equi were assayed in mares and foals on 7 studs in south-eastern Australia using skin test reactivity to the intradermal injection of culture filtrate and an indirect fluorescent antibody test . The prevalence of positive skin-test reactions did not differ between studs with a history of R . equi disease and those without but there were more mares with high antibody titres on studs with a disease history . A leucocyte extract prepared from mares that were skin-test positive was evaluated for its ability to protect foals exposed to experimental or natural challenge: 2 foals receiving leucocyte extract became skin-test positive and had resolving lesions present at post-mortem examination . All foals challenged experimentally developed serum antibody but only in those that became skin-test positive were the lesions resolving . In a field trial of leucocyte extract, using 450 foals over 2 foaling seasons, no significant difference was detected in morbidity or mortality rates between treatment and control groups . It is suggested that, since R . equi is so ubiquitous and most horses show immunological evidence of exposure, the development of clinical disease may be related to individual inability to cope with this organism . This may be due to inherited immunological unresponsiveness or to environmental factors which increase the challenge or decrease resistance.

Microbiol Immunol, 1982, 26(12), 1101 - 19
Numerical analysis of the taxonomy of Nocardiae and Rhodococci; Tsukamura M; The genera Nocardia and Rhodococcus were clearly differentiated in the present study . Eleven characteristics were shown to be useful for differentiation between these two genera . Nocardia asteroides sunsu stricto previously defined by Tsukamura was divided into two taxa . One contained the type strain and was considered to retain the name Nocardia asteroides in a new sense . Another was named in the present study as Nocardia nova sp . nov . Tsukamura . The type strain of this species is ATCC 33726 . The following seven characters were useful for differentiating N . nova from newly defined N . asteroides: 1) arylsulfatase activity after 14 days; 2) catalase activity (semiquantitative); 3) beta-esterase activity; 4) pyrazinamidase activity; 5) utilization of citrate as a sole source of carbon; 6) utilization of 2,3-butylene glycol as a sole carbon source; and 7) resistance to 5-fluorouracil (20 micrograms/ml) . The name Nocardia farcinica for Tsukamura's Kyoto-I group should be rejected . This taxon has been named Nocardia paratuberculosis sp . nov . Tsukamura . The type strain is ATCC 23826 . Three new species of the genus Rhodococcus were proposed: Rhodococcus aichiensis sp . nov . Tsukamura (type strain, ATCC 33611); Rhodococcus chubuensis sp . nov . Tsukamura (type strain, ATCC 33609); Rhodococcus obuensis sp . nov . Tsukamura (type strain, ATCC 33610).

Aust Vet J, 1981 Dec, 57(12), 537 - 42
A survey of mycobacteriosis of feral pigs in the Northern Territory; Corner LA et al.; Seven hundred and fifty-one feral pigs from the subcoastal plains of the Northern Territory were examined . The sample population consisted of 52.4% females and 47.6% males . They ranged in age from newborn piglets to mature animals of over 72 months . Of the pigs examined 47.7% had macroscopic abscesses and of these 80.2% were probably caused by mycobacteria . Tissues from 193 pigs were examined bacteriologically and 93 strains of mycobacteria were isolated . These were typed as M . bovis (37 strains); M . avium serotype 2 (1); M . intracellulare serotypes 6 (2), 7 (3), 9 (1) and 18 (1); M . intracellulare double serotypes 6 + 12 (1), 8 + 12 (1), and 11 + 12 (1); M . intracellulare unclassified serotype (4); M . scrofulaceum serotype 41 (1); M . scrofulaceum unclassified serotype (7); M . gordonae (2); M . Kansasii (1); M . simiae (2); M . szulgai (2); M . vaccae (1); and M . xenopi (2) . Additionally, 3 strains were unidentifiable members of the M . avium-M . intracellulare-M . scrofulaceum (MAIS) complex, one strain was a Runyon's group IV and 4 strains were typed as members of the genus Rhodococcus . Five strains were non-viable on subculture and 10 did not conform to any currently recognised species of mycobacteria . Of the 93 strains, 3 were isolated from tissue that did not contain macroscopic lesions, viz . M . simiae, Runyon's group IV and an unidentifiable member of the MAIS complex . It was concluded that the feral pig is probably an end host for both M . bovis and atypical mycobacteria and not a significant source of infection for cattle . M . bovis is not a significant cause of mortality in feral pigs but mycobacterioses are a significant cause of morbidity . With increasing age, the proportion of pigs having lesions increased whereas the proportion of lesions from which mycobacteria could be isolated decreased.

Vet Pathol, 1981 Sep, 18(5), 608 - 13
Porcine abortions associated with Fungi, Actinomycetes, and Rhodococcus sp; Eustis SL et al.; History, lesions, and results of microbiologic examinations are given for four porcine abortions associated with fungi and one each associated with Actinomadura madurae, an aerobic actinomycete, and Rhodococcus sp . The fungi were Gliomastix sp., Petriellidium boydii, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Exophiala jeanselmei . Parvovirus, isolated from one fetus, was the only other infectious agent identified . The presence of fungi, Actinomadura madurae, and Rhodococcus sp . in fetal and placental lesions indicates that they are a primary cause of sporadic abortion in pigs.

J Gen Microbiol, 1981 Jul, 125(Pt 1), 205 - 8
Differentiation between the genera Mycobacterium, Rhodococcus and Nocardia by susceptibility to 5-fluorouracil; Tsukamura M; A test for susceptibility to 5-fluorouracil was useful for differentiating between species of rapidly growing mycobacteria, and for differentiating the genus Rhodococcus from the genus Nocardia . The majority of rhodococci tested were susceptible to 5-fluorouracil (20 micrograms ml-1), whereas the majority of nocardiae tested were resistant to it . Strains of Nocardia asteroides sensu stricto could be divided into two subgroups by their reaction to 5-fluorouracil.

J Clin Microbiol, 1981 Jan, 13(1), 209 - 13
Septic Arthritis and osteomyelitis caused by an organism of the genus Rhodococcus; Broughton RA et al.; We describe a previously healthy, immunologically normal young girl who presented painless swelling of fingers, a toe, and one knee . Roentgenograms were consistent with osteomyelitis of the phalanges and knee effusion . Rice bodies (corpora oryzoidea) were identified in viscous fluid obtained from the knee during arthroscopy . Culture of this fluid grew an organism initially believed to be a member of the genus Nocardia but which was later presumptively identified as a member of the genus Rhodococcus . The patient was successfully treated with a combination of erythromycin and amoxicillin for a total of 6 months . Previously reported cases of this unusual infection and the microbiological features of the organism are reviewed . The significance of rice bodies found in joint fluid and the therapy of this infection are discussed.

Ann Microbiol (Paris), 1980 Nov-Dec, 131B(3), 251 - 9
Reclassification of Mycobacterium phlei PN-bb as Rhodococcus bronchialis PN-bb; Kolman A et al.; Mycobacterium phlei PN-bb, induced in the parental strain PN by gamma-radiation and ethyl methanesulfonate, should be reclassified as Rhodococcus bronchialis PN-bb . The reclassification is based on the results of lipid analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization and several biochemical tests, performed in comparison with the parental strain PN, earlier reclassified as R . bronchialis, and R, bronchialis (N654).

Zentralbl Bakteriol A, 1980 Aug, 247(3), 374 - 82
Response of developing branched bacteria to adverse environments . II . Micromorphological effects of lysozyme on some aerobic actinomycetes; Locci R; An early symptom of lysozyme treatment of developing actinomycete microcolonies is hyphal tip swelling, illustrating the plasticity of this region in relation to filament extension . The reaction is not limited to true mycelia of Streptomyces, Streptoverticillium and Rhodococcus but is also characteristic of unbranched filaments of actinomycetes exposed during their elongation stage . On the other hand rods whose extension has ceased and which are undergoing fragmentation do not show any localized weakness but a generalized lysis . Results are discussed with reference to polarity of growth in actinomycetes.

Mikrobiologiia, 1980 Jul-Aug, 49(4), 615 - 20
{Role of coryneform bacteria in the degradation of ordram in a reservoir}; Golovlev EL et al.; The object of the work was to study the role of coryneform microorganisms in the degradation of residues of ordram, a thiocarbamate herbicide . Only rhodococci were found to play an essential role in the process among these bacteria . Rhodococci actively oxidized the herbicide if its concentration was several milligrams per litre though its high concentrations (over 100 mg/l) inhibited the growth of the bacteria . This group of microorganisms, together with bacilli and certain cocci, belongs to the most active part of saprophytic microflora which transforms the molecule of the original herbicide yielding keto and hydroxy derivatives, sulfoxide, products of S-dealkylation and cleavage of the hexamethyleneimine ring . The incidence of rhodococci remains at a high level if the appropriate cosubstrates are added . In the conditions of rice check plots, rhodococci can play an essential role in the degradation of the herbicide.

J Gen Microbiol, 1980 Jun, 118(2), 295 - 312
Numerical classification of some named strains of Nocardia asteroides and related isolates from soil; Orchard VA et al.; One hundred and forty-nine strains of nocardiae, freshly isolated from soil samples obtained from a number of countries with either tropical or temperate climates, and from rubber pipe seals, were compared with appropriate marker cultures in a numerical phenetic study using 156 unit characters . Marker strains were chosen to represent the Nocardia asteroides complex, other Nocardia species and related taxa in an effort both to classify the new soil isolates and, possibly, clarify the structure of the heterogeneous N . asteroides complex . The data were examined using the simple matching (SSM) and pattern (DP) coefficients, and clustering was achieved using both single and average linkage algorithms . Cluster composition was not markedly affected by either of the coefficients or clustering methods . The estimated test error of 7.1% was rather high and could account for a few apparently anomalous results . The 16 defined clusters, containing 185 of the 197 strains studied, were divided into seven major and nine minor clusters, four of which were further subdivided into two subclusters . Marker strains allowed four clusters to be designated as N . asteroides, seven as Nocardia species and one each as Nocardia carnea, Nocardia farcinica, Nocardia autotrophica, Mycobacterium farcinogenes and Rhodococcus species . Twelve strains formed single member clusters including the type strains of Nocardia aerocolonigenes, Nocardia amarae, Nocardia fukuyae, Nocardia orientalis and Nocardia otitidis-caviarum . The majority of the soil and rubber isolates were recovered in the major clusters labelled N . asteroides, N . carnea and Nocardia species and clusters of soil isolates without marker strains seem to represent new centres of variation . The study highlights the need for additional reproducible tests to help both define and determine the status of defined clusters within the N . asteroides complex which would considerably benefit both the ecological and epidemiological study of these organisms.

J Gen Microbiol, 1980 Jun, 118(2), 313 - 9
Ribosomal ribonucleic acid similarities in the classification of Rhodococcus and related taxa; Mordarski M et al.; Duplexes were prepared between 14C-labelled rRNA from both Rhodococcus equi C7 and Rhodococcus rhodochrous N54 and DNA from 16 actinomycetes representing the genera Rhodococcus, Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Saccharopolyspora and Streptomyces . The relationships between the organisms were determined by plotting the temperature at which 50% of the duplex was denatured (Tm(e)) against the percentage of rRNA binding (microgram 14C-labelled rRNA duplexed per 100 micrograms filter-bound DNA) . All of the strains formed stable duplexes but each organism occupied a definite area on the rRNA similarity map . All of the organisms share a close phylogenetic relationship but representatives of the genera Rhodococcus, Mycobacterium, Nocardia and Streptomyces fell into four recognizable clusters on the similarity map . These data support and extend current trends in the classification of Rhodococcus and allied taxa . The guanine plus cytosine content of the DNA from the test strains was within the range 69.3 to 76.9 mol %.

Ann Microbiol (Paris), 1980 Mar-Apr, 131A(2), 129 - 39
{Periodic macromolecule syntheses in synchronized cultures of species belonging to the "Rhodococcus" genus ("Rhodochrous" group) (author's transl)}; Lefebvre G et al.; The synthesis of total proteins, total RNA and DNA in exponential synchronous cultures of species belonging to the Rhodococcus genus (Nocardia restricta and N . canicruria) has been studied by chemical methods and pulsed incorporations of labelled precursors in the acid-insoluble fraction . The replication of DNA is discontinuous . Syntheses of RNA and proteins are periodic: they happen during two main periods during the time necessary for a doubling of the cell mass . A slowdown of these syntheses occurs during the DNA replication . This periodicity allows to explain the regular discontinuities previously observed on the absorbance curves of synchronous cultures . The discontinuous pattern in the macromolecules synthesis of Rhodococcus allows a comparison with the cell cycle of some lower eukaryotes but is different from the cycle of fast-growing bacteria.

Ann Microbiol (Paris), 1979 Nov-Dec, 130B(4), 385 - 98
Comparative studies of the strains PA and PN of Mycobacterium phlei leading to their reclassification: examination of lipids and DNA, biochemical tests and phage typing; Asselineau C et al.; Study of lipid and DNA, biochemical tests and phage typing performed on the strain PA previously labelled Mycobacterium phlei, lead to the conclusion that this strain belongs to the species M . smegmatis . Parallel studies performed on strain PN, isolated from a culture of strain PA, as well as DNA homology percentage of the two strains, do not support the assumption that strain PN could have resulted from a mutation of strain PA Strain PN produces mycolic acids similar to those found in Rhodococcus bronchialis; the few biological tests applied quite agree with such a classification.

Mikrobiologiia, 1978 Sep-Oct, 47(5), 866 - 70
{Microorganisms of the genus Nocardia and the "rhodochrous" group in the soils of the Ukrainian SSR}; Nesterenko OA et al.; Nocardioform bacteria characterized by the IV type of the cell wall and by lipid LCN-A are widely distributed in various soils of the Ukrainian SSR . The acetamidase-negative forms of Nocardia asteroides were found in 24.4% of soil samples, and the acetamidase-positive forms of this organism, in 4% of soil samples . The "rhodochrous" group was most often represented by the species N . erythropolis and N . rubropertincta, and less often, by Nocardia (Rhodococcus) rhodochrous, N . opaca and N . flava . The greatest amount of different species was detected in chernozem and dark chestnut soils of the waste zone . Chernozem soils impregnated with petroleum were particularly abundant in N . asteroides, N . rubropertincta, N . corallina and N . erythropolis . The best medium for isolation of most species was the Munz medium containing n-alkanes.

Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz), 1978, 26(1-6), 271 - 5
DNA homology studies on Nocardia and Rhodococcus strains; Mordarski M et al.; The genetic homogeneity of Nocardia amarae, Nocardia autotrophica and Rhodococcus strains and the relationship among these groups of microorganisms have been studied using the DNA reassociation method . Strains belonging to N . amarae and N . autotrophica form genetically homogeneous groups . Distinct differences have been found out among Rhodococcus strains.

Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz), 1978, 26(1-6), 265 - 9
Serological study of Nocardia pellegrino; Jaworska-Blach B et al.; The serological relationship between Nocardia pellegrino strains was studied by means of immunodiffusion technique . Seven reference precipitation systems, including Nocardia asteroides (three strains), N . pellegrino Sn 5112, Rhodococcus, rhodochrous (two strains) and N . erythropolis were used . With one exception all of the strains of Nocardia pellegrino examined, seemed to be serologically related to the reference strain of N . pellegrino Sn 5112 . They showed 4-5 common precipitates.

J Gen Microbiol, 1977 Jun, 100(2), 363 - 71
A comparative study of the 'rhodochrous' complex and related taxa by delayed-type skin reactions on guinea pigs and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; Hyman IS et al.; Cell extracts prepared by ultrasonic disruption of 17 strains of the 'rhodochrous' complex and related taxa were compared by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and for immunologic relatedness, by skin test reactions . Two organisms, Jensenia canicruria and Nocardia calcarea, gave similar gel patterns and skin test reactions, and are considered to be identical . Extracts of nocardia rubra showed a strong antigenic relationship with those of three Nocardia pellegrino organisms (N325, N324 and N420) previously assigned to the 'rhodochrous' complex . Two Gordona organisms appeared to be less antigenically related to the 'rhodochrous' complex . Extracts of three of four organisms designated Lspi (Rhodococcus coprophilus Rowbotham & Cross 1976) elicited skin test reactions similar to those of the 'rhodochrous' strains . One Lspi strain, N650, showed striking similarities to the 'rhodochrous' complex strain N420 (Nocardia pellegrino).

J Gen Microbiol, 1977 May, 100(1), 99 - 122
The actinomycete-genus Rhodococcus: a home for the "rhodochrous" complex; Goodfellow M et al.; A numerical taxonomic classification study was carried out on 177 strains representing the "rhodochrous" complex and the genera Gordona, Mycobacterium and Nocardia . The strains were examined for 92 unit characters and the data were analysed by computer . Three clusters were defined at the 75 to 80% similarity level . The first was a heterogeneous cluster corresponding to the "rhodochrous" taxon whereas the other two contained Mycobacterium and Nocardia strains respectively . The good correlation between the numerical analysis and chemo-taxonomic, serological and genetical data collected from previous studies provides sufficient evidence for raising the "rhodochrous" taxon to generic status . We consider the generic name Rhodococcus Aopf to have priority over Proactinomyces (Jensen) Bradley & Bond, Jensenia Bisset & Moore and Gordona Tsukamura . In addition to the type species, Rhodococcus rhodochrous, nine species are recognized: R . bronchialis, R . coprophilus, R . corallinus, R . erythropolis, R . equi, R . rhodnii, R . rubrus, R . rubropertinctus and R . terrae.

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