HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (Papers in Press[PDF]) All Versions of this Article: mic.0.026724-0v1 155/6/2068    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Maquelin, K. Articles by Vink, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Maquelin, K. Articles by Vink, C. Agricola Articles by Maquelin, K. Articles by Vink, C.

Raman spectroscopic typing reveals the presence of carotenoids in Mycoplasma pneumoniae

¹ Erasmus MC;
² TU Dresden

ABSTRACT

Raman spectroscopy has previously been demonstrated to be a highly useful methodology for the identification and/or typing of microorganisms. In this study, we set out to evaluate whether this technology could also be applied as a tool to discriminate between isolates of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is generally considered to be a genetically highly uniform species. In this evaluation, a total of 104 strains of M. pneumoniae were analyzed, including two reference strains (strains M129 and FH), and 102 clinical isolates, which were isolated between 1973 and 2005 and originated from various countries. By Raman spectral analysis (Raman typing) of this strain collection, we were able to reproducibly distinguish 6 different clusters of strains. An unequivocal correlation between Raman typing and P1 genotyping, which is based on sequence differences in the P1 (or MPN141) gene of M. pneumoniae, was not observed. In the two major Raman clusters we identified (cluster 3 and 6, which together harbored 81% of the strains), the different P1 subtypes were similarly distributed, with ~76% isolates of subtype 1, ~20% of subtype 2, and ~5% of variant 2a. Nevertheless, a relatively high prevalence of P1 subtype 2 strains was found in clusters 2 and 5 (100%), as well as in cluster 1 (75%) and cluster 4 (71%); these clusters, however, harbored a small number of strains. Only 2 of the strains (2%) could not be typed correctly. Interestingly, analysis of the Raman spectra revealed the presence of carotenoids in M. pneumoniae. This finding is in line with the identification of M. pneumoniae genes that have similarity with genes involved in a biochemical pathway leading to carotenoid synthesis, i.e. the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway. Therefore, we hypothesize that M. pneumoniae hosts a MEP-like pathway for carotenoid synthesis. We conclude that Raman spectroscopy is a convenient tool for discriminating between M. pneumoniae strains, and that it presents a promising supplement to the current methods for typing of this bacterium.

³ E-mail: c.vink{at}erasmusmc.nl

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Sluijter, E. B. M. Spuesens, N. G. Hartwig, A. M. C. van Rossum, and C. Vink The Mycoplasma pneumoniae MPN490 and Mycoplasma genitalium MG339 Genes Encode RecA Homologs That Promote Homologous DNA Strand Exchange Infect. Immun., November 1, 2009; 77(11): 4905 - 4911. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]