Comparative chemotaxonomic studies of mycolic acid-free coryneform bacteria of human origin

Forty-two clinical isolates were classified as Corynebacterium minutissimum, Corynebacterium striatum, and Corynebacterium CDC group I by the API Coryne system. The chemotaxonomic characteristics of the isolates were determined by thin-layer chromatographic analysis. Twenty-six isolates were found to have a type IV cell wall (meso-di-aminopimelic acid arabinose, galactose) but did not contain mycolic acids. These 26 isolates shared chemotaxonomic characteristics with those of mycolic acid-free reference strains (including the Corynebacterium amycolatum NCFB 2768 type strain, "Corynebacterium asperum," and coryneform CDC groups I2 and F2). The total protein profiles of the isolates determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were similar to each other and to that of the C. amycolatum type strain. The profiles of the reference strains "Corynebacterium asperum" (CIP 100836, CIP 80.54, CIP 79.37, CIP 52.13), coryneform bacteria CDC groups I2 and F2 (CDC F5771, F5890, G723, G1970), and C. amycolatum were closely related. Thus, the mycolic acid-negative strains with a chemotype IV wall may belong to a single taxon. DNA hybridization studies could confirm this hypothesis. The present study shows the importance of chemotaxonomic analysis for verifying strain identifications and completing results from biochemical tests, particularly for coryneform bacteria.