The Genus Serratia

More documents

Recommendations

Info

220 F. Grimont and P.A.D. Grimont CHAPTER 3.3.11 Neumann 1896; excluded from the genus Serratia (Ewing et al., 1959); “atypical” S. marcescens (Colwell and Mandel, 1965); “S. marcescens var. kiliensis” according to Martinec and Kocur (1961d) (not Ewing et al., 1962); Serratia III (Mandel and Rownd, 1964); Serratia pattern 2 (Fulton et al., 1959); atypical S. rubidaea (Ewing et al., 1972, 1973); and phenon C2 (Grimont et al., 1977b). The type strain is Grimont 510, CCM 640, and ATCC 183. The type strains of “Bacterium kiliense” reference is not an exact matchLehmann and Neumann 1986 and “Serratia esseyana” Combe 1933 are S. plymuthica. 6. Serratia rubidaeaStapp 1940 (Ewing et al., 1973): “Bacterium rubidaeum” Stapp 1940; “Prodigiosus” VIII (Hefferan 1904); S. marinorubra ZoBell and Upham 1944; Serratia biotype 2 (Bascomb et al., 1971); phenon B (Grimont and Dulong de Rosnay, 1972; Grimont et al., 1977b); S. rubidaea DNA hybridization group (Steigerwalt et al., 1976). The name appeared in the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names (Skerman et al., 1980). The type strain (neotype) is ATCC 27593, CDC 2199–72, and Grimont 864. The former type strain (holotype) of S. marinorubra was NCTC 10912, ATCC 27614, and Grimont 288. However, the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names (Skerman et al., 1980) listed S. marinorubra with ATCC 27593 as the type strain. Thus, both names (S. rubidaea and S. marinorubra) were made objective synonyms and the name S. rubidaea has priority. Three subspecies can be delineated: S. rubidaea subsp. rubidaea S. rubidaea subsp. burdigalensis, and S. rubidaea subsp. colindalensis (Grimont et al., manuscript in preparation). 7. Serratia odorifera Grimont et al. 1978a: Strains similar to the unclustered Serratia strain 38 (Grimont and Dulong de Rosnay, 1972; Grimont et al., 1977b). The type strain is ATCC 33077, CDC 1979-77, Grimont 1073, ICPB 3995, and NCTC 11214. The name appeared in the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names (Skerman et al., 1980). 8. Serratia ficaria Grimont et al. 1979c: the type strain is ATCC 33105, Grimont 4024, CIP 79.23, and ICPB 4050. 9. Serratia entomophila Grimont et al. 1988: the type strain is ATCC 43705, Jackson A1, and CIP 102919. 10. Serratia fonticola Gavini et al. 1979: Lysine-positive Citrobacter-like (Steigerwalt et al., 1976). The type strain is ATCC 29844, CUETM 77.165, Grimont 4011, and CIP 78.64. The name appeared in the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names (Skerman et al., 1980). The inclusion of the genus Serratia in the tribe Klebsielleae is no longer tenable. Studies on DNA relatedness, immunological cross-reaction between isofunctional enzymes, and the physical properties, regulation, and amino acid sequences of enzymes have all shown the genus Serratia to be consistently different from the group composed of the genera Escherichia, Shigella, Salmonella, Citrobacter, Klebsiella, and Enterobacter (reviewed by Grimont and Grimont, 1978a). Until the late 1950s, Serratia spp. were rarely isolated from human patients. Later on S. marcescens became more and more frequently involved in nosocomial infections and nonpigmented S. marcescens strains are now a serious threat in surgical and intensive care units (Daschner, 1980; von Graevenitz, 1980; Yu, 1979). Ecology For a long time, the confused status of Serratia taxonomy prevented any precise knowledge of the habitat of Serratia species. After the aforementioned Serratia species had been defined, however, it became apparent that they occupied different habitats. Table 1 shows the distribution of the major species of the Serratia strains isolated from small mammals and their territories, and from water, plants, and hospitalized human patients. Table 2 shows the distribution of the major biotypes of the S. marcescens strains isolated from these same habitats. Serratia in Water and Soil Water is probably the principal habitat of S. plymuthica. Nomenspecies resembling S. plymuthica (Breunig’s Kiel bacillus, “Bacillus miniaceus,” “Serratia miquelii,” and “S. esseyana”) have also been isolated from water. Seawater isolates belong to the same species as terrestrial water isolates. “Serratia marinorubra” Table 1. Percent distribution among Serratia species of 1,543 strains isolated from different habitats. Species Small mammals a (92 isolates) a Rodents and shrews. b From plants and soil around the traps where small mammals were captured. c All plants except figs and coconuts. Animal territories b (51 isolates) Percentage of isolates in habitat Water (155 isolates) Plants c (137 isolates) Hospitalized patients (1,108 isolates) S. marcescens 10 2 75 10 97 S. plymuthica 4 2 1 5 0 S. liquefaciens 43 55 11 38 2 S. proteamaculans 39 29 8 32 0 S. grimesii 3 10 5 7 0.5 S. rubidaea 0 0 0 1 0.2 S. odorifera 0 0 0 4 0.1 S. ficaria 0 2 0 4 0 Total percentage 100 100 100 100 100
CHAPTER 3.3.11 The Genus Serratia 221 Table 2. Percent distribution among Serratia marcescens biogroups of 1,210 strains isolated from four different habitats. Biogroup a Isolated at the Pellegrin Hospital (Bordeaux, France) from 1968 through 1975. b In addition, 72 strains of biotype A2b were isolated from infants (mostly from feces) in the neonatology ward. was not a true marine species, as it showed no sodium requirement (P. Baumann, personal communication). Many strains of S. fonticola have been isolated from well waters and springs (Gavini et al., 1979). In a systematic search for Serratia in river water, 150 strains were isolated and were distributed in the following species: S. marcescens (75%), S. liquefaciens (11%), S. proteamaculans (8%), S. grimesii (5%), and S. plymuthica (1%) (F. Agbalika, F. Grimont, and P.A.D. Grimont, unpublished observations). The selective medium used (caprylate-thallous agar) did not allow isolation of S. fonticola. Strains producing the non-diffusible red pigment prodigiosin seem to be toxic to protozoa (Groscop and Brent, 1964), and this may be an ecological advantage in water and soil. However, it seems that pigmented bacteria are more often isolated from unpolluted water (from springs or wells) than from polluted water (river water downstream from cities). In soil, S. marcescens might play a role in the biological cycle of metals by mineralizing organic iron and dissolving gold and copper (Parès, 1964). A mineralization role has also been attributed to cold-tolerant Serratia associated with low-moor peat (Janota-Bassalik, 1963). Serratia on Plants Serratia proteamaculans was once isolated from a leaf spot disease of the tropical plant Protea cynaroides (the King Protea) (Paine and Stansfield, 1919). However, the experimental lesions caused by S. proteamaculans on detached leaves of Protea suggest a hypersensitivity reaction (Paine and Berridge, 1921). Similar lesions were obtained with other species of Serratia (Grimont et al., 1978b). Inoculation of S. marcescens ICPB 2875 and S. marinorubra ICPB 2881 on tobacco and bean leaves also produced a typical hypersensitivity reaction (Lakso and Starr, 1970). A root disease complex of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) involving a Fusarium sp., a Pseudomonas Percentage of isolates in habitat Water (107 isolates) Plants and rodents (37 isolates) Hospitalized patients (1,066 isolates) a A1 12 19 0.1 A2/6 23 5 7 b A3 21 38 7 A4 34 38 26 A5/8 7 0 47 TCT 3 0 13 Total 100 100 100 sp., and a bacterium named “Erwinia amylovora var. alfalfae” was observed by Shinde and Lukezic (1974). These isolates of “Erwinia amylovora var. alfalfae” were later identified as Serratia marcescens biotype A4a (Grimont et al., 1981). Characteristic Serratia populations were found in figs. S. ficaria was recovered from most figs collected in California, Tunisia, France (Grimont et al., 1979c), Sicily (Giammanco and Amato, 1982; Grimont and Deval, 1982), and Greece (P.A.D. Grimont, unpublished observations). This species could be associated with S. marcescens (biogroups A1, A2, or A3) or other genera. Figs of the Calimyrna variety (Smyrna variety adapted to California) deserve special mention. Calimyrna figs contain only pistillate flowers and in order to become edible, they need to be pollinated specifically by the fig wasp Blastophaga psenes. The fig wasp has a life cycle limited to the caprifig, an inedible fruit produced by the caprifig tree. When a young female fig wasp makes her way out of a caprifig, she covers herself with pollen and a specific fungal and microbial flora (Phaff and Miller, 1961). The fig wasp will then enter an unpollenated caprifig of a new crop, pollinate it, oviposit in a pistillate flower, and die; or it may be carried by the wind to a Calimyrna fig—a cul-de-sac in the wasp life cycle—where the fig wasp will deposit pollen and the microbial/fungal flora in its desperate attempt to oviposit. Since 1927 (Caldis, 1927; Phaff and Miller, 1961; Smith and Hansen, 1931), a red-pigmented and a nonpigmented Serratia have been repeatedly isolated from caprifigs, pollinated Calimyrna figs, and fig wasps. The pigmented and nonpigmented isolates were identified as Serratia marcescens biotype A1b and S. ficaria, respectively (Grimont et al., 1979c; Grimont et al., 1981). The fact that the Calimyrna fig is internally sterile until the fig wasp enters it provides an ecological niche for these Serratia strains. The multiplication of Serratia in caprifigs or Calimyrna figs is limited, and these organisms do not
Page 1: Prokaryotes (2006) 6:219-244 DOI: 1
Page 5 and 6: CHAPTER 3.3.11 The Genus Serratia 2

The Genus Serratia

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?