Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Classification of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium: An interim report

  • Published:
Current Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from strains of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium (LDB) was characterized in order to aid in the proper classification of this organism. The genome size of LDB DNA was estimated at 2.5×109 daltons by reassociation kinetics; a guanine-plus-cytosine content of LDB of 39% was established by optical thermal denaturation and buoyant density ultracentrifugation measurements. DNA relatedness studies on 12 strains of the LDB indicated that they were all members of the same species. DNA relatedness studies have thus far failed to show that the LDB is significantly related to any other organism, including all members of Enterobacteriaceae,Pasteurella multocida, Francisella tularensis, Rochalimaea quintana, Vibrio species,Staphylococcus epidermidis, andFlavobacterium meningosepticum.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature Cited

  1. Bazaral, M., Helinski, D. R. 1968. Circular DNA forms of colicinogenic factors E1, E2, and E3 fromEscherichia coli. Journal of Molecular Biology36:185–194.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Brenner, D. J. 1973 DNA reassociation in the taxonomy of enteric bacteria. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology23:298–307.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Brenner, D. J., Fanning, G. R., Johnson, K. E., Citarella, R. V., Falkow, S. 1969. Polynucleotide sequence relationships among members ofEnterobacteriaceae. Journal of Bacteriology98:637–650.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Brenner, D. J., Steigerwalt, A. G., Falcão, D. P., Weaver, R. E., Fanning, G. R. 1976. Characterization ofYersinia enterocolitica andYersinia pseudotuberculosis by deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization and biochemical reactions. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology26:180–194.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Center for Disease Control. 1965. Institutional outbreak of pneumonia. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report14:165–287.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Center for Disease Control. 1968. Epidemic of obscure illness. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report17:315–320.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Center for Disease Control. 1977. Legionnaires' disease—United States. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report26:224.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Center for Disease Control. 1977. Legionnaires' disease—Ohio. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report26:300.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Center for Disease Control. 1977. Follow-up on Legionnaires' disease—Vermont. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report26:328.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Center for Disease Control. 1977. Legionnaires' disease—Tennessee, Vermont. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report26:336.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Center for Disease Control. 1977. Legionnaires' disease—Scotland, Spain, United States. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report26:344.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Center for Disease Control. 1977. Follow-up on sporadic cases of Legionnaires' disease—United States. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report26:408.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Center for Disease Control. 1977. Follow-up on sporadic cases of Legionnaires' disease—United States. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report26:443.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Chandler, F. W., Hicklin, M. D., Blackmon, J. A. 1977. Legionnaires' disease: Demonstration of the agent in tissue. New England Journal of Medicine297:1218–1220.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Chelm, B. K., Hallick, R. B. 1976. Changes in the expression of the chloroplast genome ofEuglena gracilis during chloroplast development. Biochemistry,15:593–599.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Fraser, D. W., Tsai, T. F., Orenstein, W., Parkin, W. E., Beecham, H. J., Sharrar, R. G., Harris, J., Mallison, G. F., Martin, S. M., McDade, J. E., Shepard, C. C., Brachman, P. S., andthe field investigation team. 1977. Legionnaires' disease: Description of an epidemic. New England Journal of Medicine297:1189–1197.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Johnson, J. L. 1973. Use of nucleic acid homologies in the taxonomy of anaerobic bacteria. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology23:308–315.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Mandel, M., Marmur, J. 1968. Use of ultraviolet absorbance-temperature profile for determining the guanine plus cytosine content of DNA. Methods in Enzymology12B:195–206.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Mandel, M., Schildkraut, C. L., Marmur, J. 1968. Use of CsCl density gradient analysis for determining the guanine plus cytosine content of DNA. Methods in Enzymology12B:184–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. McDade, J. E., Shepard, C. C., Fraser, D. W., Tsai, T. F., Redus, M. A., Dowdle, W. R., andthe laboratory investigation team. 1977. Legionnaires' disease: Isolation of a bacterium and demonstration of its role in other respiratory disease. New England Journal of Medicine297:1197–1203.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Moore, R. L., Brubaker, R. R. 1975. Hybridization of deoxyribonucleic sequences ofYersinia enterocolitica and other selected members ofEnterobacteriaceae. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology25:336–339.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Moss, C. W., Weaver, R. E., Dees, S. B., Cherry, W. B. 1977. Cellular fatty acid composition of isolates from Legionnaires' disease. Journal of Clinical Microbiology6:140–143.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Nonoyama, M., Pagano, J. S. 1973. Homology between Epstein-Barr virus DNA and viral DNA from Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma determined by DNA-DNA reassociation kinetics. Nature242:44–47.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Palleroni, N. J., Kunisawa, R., Contopoulou, R., Doudoroff, M. 1973. Nucleic acid homologies in the genusPseudomonas. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology23:333–339.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Staley, T. E., Colwell, R. R. 1973. Deoxyribonucleic acid reassociation among members of the genusVibrio. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology23:316–332.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Thornsberry, C., Baker, C. M., Kirven, L. A. 1978. In vitro activity of antimicrobial agents on the Legionnaires' disease bacterium. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy13:78–80.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Center for Disease Control, 30333, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Don J. Brenner, Arnold G. Steigerwalt, Robert E. Weaver, Joseph E. McDade & James C. Feeley

  2. M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, University of Texas System Cancer Center, 77030, Houston, Texas, USA

    Manley Mandel

Authors
  1. Don J. Brenner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Arnold G. Steigerwalt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Robert E. Weaver
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Joseph E. McDade
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. James C. Feeley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Manley Mandel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Brenner, D.J., Steigerwalt, A.G., Weaver, R.E. et al. Classification of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium: An interim report. Current Microbiology 1, 71–75 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02605418

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02605418

Keywords

Search

Navigation