Microbiology of Natural and Technical Interfaces Department, Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
PLoS One. 2011;6(11):e27615. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027615. Epub 2011 Nov 15.
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a highly versatile species with useful biotechnological potential but also with pathogenic properties. In light of possible differences in virulence characteristics, knowledge about genomic subgroups is therefore desirable. Two different genotyping methods, rep-PCR fingerprinting and partial gyrB gene sequencing were used to elucidate S. maltophilia intraspecies diversity. Rep-PCR fingerprinting revealed the presence of 12 large subgroups, while gyrB gene sequencing distinguished 10 subgroups. For 8 of them, the same strain composition was shown with both typing methods. A subset of 59 isolates representative for the gyrB groups was further investigated with regards to their pathogenic properties in a virulence model using Dictyostelium discoideum and Acanthamoeba castellanii as host organisms. A clear tendency towards accumulation of virulent strains could be observed for one group with A. castellanii and for two groups with D. discoideum. Several virulent strains did not cluster in any of the genetic groups, while other groups displayed no virulence properties at all. The amoeba pathogenicity model proved suitable in showing differences in S. maltophilia virulence. However, the model is still not sufficient to completely elucidate virulence as critical for a human host, since several strains involved in human infections did not show any virulence against amoeba.
嗜麦芽寡养单胞菌是一种具有高度多功能性的物种，具有有用的生物技术潜力，但也具有致病性。鉴于可能存在毒力特征的差异，因此需要了解基因组亚群的知识。我们使用两种不同的基因分型方法，重复序列 PCR 指纹图谱分析和部分 gyrB 基因测序，阐明了嗜麦芽寡养单胞菌种内多样性。重复序列 PCR 指纹图谱分析显示存在 12 个大亚群，而 gyrB 基因测序则区分了 10 个亚群。对于其中的 8 个亚群，两种分型方法显示出相同的菌株组成。选择 59 个具有代表性的 gyrB 组的分离株子集，进一步使用变形虫（Dictyostelium discoideum）和棘阿米巴（Acanthamoeba castellanii）作为宿主生物，在毒力模型中研究其致病性。可以清楚地观察到一个亚群与棘阿米巴之间以及两个亚群与变形虫之间毒力菌株的积累趋势。一些毒力菌株在任何遗传群中都没有聚类，而其他群则根本没有毒力特性。该阿米巴致病性模型适合显示嗜麦芽寡养单胞菌毒力的差异。然而，该模型仍然不足以完全阐明对人类宿主至关重要的毒力，因为参与人类感染的一些菌株对阿米巴没有任何毒力。
