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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, July 2006, p. 4633-4637, Vol. 72, No. 7
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/AEM.02876-05
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139,1 Department of Molecular Genetics, Forsyth Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 021152
Received 7 December 2005/ Accepted 29 April 2006
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Wild birds have been recognized for decades as reservoirs of Campylobacter spp. (8, 17, 22). However, it was not until H. pametensis was isolated from wild birds and named in 1994 that avian species were recognized as reservoirs of enteric helicobacters (6, 19). Helicobacter pametensis was also isolated from the feces of a pig. Other helicobacters not formally named but referred to as "helicobacter bird B" and "helicobacter bird C" were also cultured from the feces of wild birds living on the coast of Massachusetts (6). Soon thereafter, H. pullorum was isolated from the intestinal tracts of chickens, diseased chicken livers, and diarrheic humans (20). Most recently, H. canadensis, first isolated from diarrheic and bacteremic patients, was cultured from the feces of Barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) and Canada geese (Branta canadensis) on the Atlantic coast of Europe (12, 21-23).
Because H. canadensis was originally identified in humans and subsequently found in geese, we wanted to ascertain whether this helicobacter would also be isolated from Canada geese which frequent public waterways, parks, and golf courses (2, 8, 9). Their feces heavily contaminate those areas and could serve as a zoonotic source of enteric helicobacters, including H. canadensis. This study describes the isolation and characterization by phenotypic, biochemical, 16S rRNA, and 23S rRNA analyses of two novel helicobacters, Helicobacter anseris and H. brantae, from the feces of Canada geese in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area.
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Bacterial isolation and biochemical characterization.
Samples from each fecal sample were homogenized in 1.0 ml of phosphate-buffered saline. Each slurry was gently passed through a 0.45-µm-pore-size filter onto a Trypticase soy agar (TSA) plate (with 5% sheep blood) (Remel, Lenexa, Kans.). The homogenate was streaked directly onto TSA plates containing either trimethoprim, vancomycin, and polymyxin B or cefoperazone, vancomycin, and amphotericin B (Remel). In addition, a selective antibiotic medium was prepared with the following agents: blood agar base (Oxoid; Remel), 5% horse blood (Remel), 50 µg of amphotericin B/ml, 100 µg of vancomycin/ml, 3.3 µg of polymyxin B/ml, 200 µg of bacitracin/ml, and 10.7 µg of nalidixic acid/ml (all from Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.). The cultures were then incubated at 37°C under microaerobic conditions in vented jars containing N2, H2, and CO2 (80:10:10). A detailed biochemical characterization analysis was performed on a minimum of seven isolates of each novel Helicobacter sp., as previously described by Fox et al. (14).
Electron microscopy.
Two isolates, one representing H. anseris and the other representing H. brantae, were examined by electron microscopy. Cells grown on blood agar for 48 h were gently suspended in 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.4) at a concentration of about 108 cells per ml. Samples were negatively stained with 1% (wt/vol) phosphotungstic acid (pH 6.5) for 20 to 30 s. Specimens were examined with a JEOL model JEM-1200EX transmission electron microscope operating at 100 kV.
Genomic DNA extraction for rRNA gene sequencing.
Bacteria isolated from the feces of 11 geese were cultured on blood agar plates, and cells were harvested and washed once with 1 ml of phosphate-buffered saline. A High Pure PCR template preparation kit was used for DNA extraction (Roche Molecular Biochemicals, Indianapolis, Ind.).
16S rRNA gene sequencing.
The sequences of the 16S rRNA genes of 11 isolates of Helicobacter spp. were determined (Table 1). Amplification of 16S rRNA genes, sequencing, and 16S rRNA data analysis were performed as described previously by Fox et al. (13). Briefly, primers C70 and B37 were used to amplify the 16S rRNA genes. The amplicons were purified and directly sequenced by using a TAQuence cycle sequencing kit (U.S. Biochemicals, Cleveland, Ohio). The 16S rRNA gene sequences were entered into RNA, a program for analysis of 16S rRNA data, and were aligned as described previously (16). Similarity matrices were constructed from the aligned sequences by using only those base positions for which 90% of the strains had data and were corrected for multiple base changes by the method of Jukes and Cantor (15). Phylogenetic trees were constructed by the neighbor-joining method (18).
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TABLE 1. PCR results for goose flocks
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Helicobacter sp.-specific PCR amplification.
Primers specific for amplifying helicobacter 16S rRNA genes were used to determine the presence of helicobacters in fecal samples, as previously described (13). This set of primers produces an amplicon of 1.2 kb. Briefly, 20 µl of the DNA preparation was added to 100 µl of a reaction mixture containing 1x Taq polymerase buffer (supplied by the manufacturer but supplemented with 1 M MgCl2 to a final concentration of 2.25 mM), 0.5 µM (each) primers, a 200 µM concentration of each deoxynucleotide, and 200 µg of bovine serum albumin per ml. Samples were heated at 94°C for 4 min, briefly centrifuged, and cooled to 58°C. At this time, 2.5 U of Taq polymerase (Roche Molecular Biochemicals) and 1.0 U of polymerase enhancer (Perfect Match; Stratagene, La Jolla, Calif.) were added, and then the samples were overlaid with 100 µl of mineral oil. For amplification of the 1.2-kb fragment, the following conditions were used: 35 cycles of denaturation at 94°C for 1 min, annealing at 58°C for 2 min, and elongation at 72°C for 3 min, followed by an elongation step of 8 min at 72°C. Fifteen microliters of the sample was then electrophoresed through a 1% agarose gel, followed by ethidium bromide staining, and samples were visualized by UV illumination.
Nucleotide sequence accession numbers.
The GenBank accession numbers for sequences determined in this study are as follows: H. anseris 16S rRNA, DQ415545; H. anseris 23S rRNA, DQ418749; H. brantae 16S rRNA, DQ415546; and H. brantae 23S rRNA, DQ418750.
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Biochemical characterization.
The isolates clustered into two novel phenotypic groups. The first group was urease, catalase, and oxidase positive, hydrolyzed indoxyl acetate, and reduced nitrate but did not have
-glutamyl transpeptidase activity. The strains grew at 42°C in the presence of 1% glycine and were susceptible to nalidixic acid but resistant to cephalothin. For this group of novel helicobacter isolates, we propose the name Helicobacter anseris. The second novel group of isolates differed from the first by being urease negative, showed intermediate susceptibility to cephalothin, and growing weakly in the presence of 1% glycine (Table 2). For the second group of novel isolates, we propose the name H. brantae. H. brantae, which is closely related to H. cholecystus by 16S rRNA analysis (98.5% similarity), can be distinguished from H. cholecystus biochemically by being unable to reduce nitrate to nitrite and having indoxyl acetate hydrolysis activity.
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TABLE 2. Biochemical characteristics of Helicobacter spp. isolated from birdsa
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FIG. 1. H. anseris, a slightly curved rod with subterminal sheathed flagella.
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FIG. 2. H. brantae, a curved rod with subterminal sheathed flagella. Bar = 0.5 µm.
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FIG. 3. Phylogenetic tree constructed on the basis of 16S rRNA sequence similarity values. The scale bar is equal to a 3% difference in nucleotide sequences, as determined by measuring the lengths of the horizontal lines connecting two species.
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FIG. 4. Phylogenetic tree constructed on the basis of 23S rRNA sequence similarity values. The scale bar is equal to a 4% difference in nucleotide sequences, as determined by measuring the lengths of the horizontal lines connecting two species.
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These novel helicobacters were isolated from resident geese inhabiting parks and public areas routinely frequented by local inhabitants, including children. Geese excreta in these public areas have increasingly raised the public's annoyance level from both a sanitation perspective and, more importantly, their possibility as a source of infections to humans via zoonotically transmitted microorganisms. It is suspected, though not definitely proven, that another enteric helicobacter colonizing chickens, i.e., H. pullorum, is directly transmitted via fecal contamination to humans. This organism has been associated with diarrhea and bacteremia in humans (20). Recently, in a large survey of 600 humans, H. pullorum was identified by specific PCR in 4.1% of feces from both diarrheic and nondiarrheic humans (1). In addition to diarrheal disease in humans, H. pullorum has also been isolated from livers of chickens with hepatitis (20). Other enterohepatic helicobacters, including H. cinaedi, H. hepatitis, H. bilis, and H. canis, have been isolated from diseased livers of several mammalian species (11). Furthermore, H. canadensis, originally misclassified as H. pullorum, is associated with diarrhea and bacteremia in humans and was recently isolated from the feces of geese inhabiting coastal areas in Europe (12, 21, 23). The isolation of novel helicobacters from the feces of geese collected from the grounds of public parks may pose a similar zoonotic risk, as well as possibly infecting other species of birds and mammals. The pathogenic potentials of Helicobacter anseris and H. brantae are currently unknown.
Other related microaerophiles, such as Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, and Campylobacter lari colonize a variety of migratory birds (22). It is assumed, but not proven, that these birds are also a source of campylobacter infection in humans. However, serotypes of wild bird isolates differed from those of human and chicken isolates, suggesting that wild birds may be less important than poultry in zoonotic spread of Campylobacter spp. (17). Similar molecular typing of Helicobacter spp. isolated from birds and humans is required to assess their zoonotic potential. As with campylobacter infections in birds, the epidemiology of Helicobacter spp., including H. anseris and H. brantae, in birds will require a thorough understanding of feeding habits, migrating patterns, habitat preferences, and life spans of individual bird species. It is clear, however, that the increasing presence of Canada geese and their proximity to urban locales on a year-round basis increase the likelihood that these birds could be a source of zoonotic transmission through direct fecal contamination or via fecal contamination of water. This possibility heightens the need to further study and identify intestinal microflora of Canada geese for assessment of zoonotic potential.
Description of H. anseris sp. nov. (anseris. L. gen. masc./fem. n. anseris, of the goose).
Cells are slender and slightly curved to rod shaped (0.5 by 1.8 µm). The bacterium is gram negative and nonsporulating; it is motile by virtue of possessing single sheathed flagella located subterminally at each end. Cultures grown on solid agar media appear as a spreading layer. Organisms grow under microaerobic conditions but not aerobically or anaerobically. Growth occurs at 37°C and 42°C. The bacterium is oxidase, catalase, and urease positive but alkaline phosphatase and
-glutamyl transpeptidase negative. The organism hydrolyzes indoxyl acetate and grows in 1% glycine but does not reduce nitrate to nitrite. Cells are sensitive to nalidixic acid but resistant to cephalothin. Bacteria have been isolated from the feces of Canada geese. The type strain is MIT 04-9362 (ATCC BAA-1299). The 16S rRNA sequence accession number for the type strain is DQ415545, and that for the 23S rRNA is DQ418749.
Description of H. brantae sp. nov. (bran'tae. N.L. gen. fem. n. Branta, the zoological genus name of Canada geese).
Cells are slender and slightly curved to rod shaped (0.5 by 1.8 µm). The bacterium is gram negative and nonsporulating; it is motile by virtue of possessing single sheathed flagella located subterminally at each end. Cultures grown on solid agar media appear as a spreading layer. Organisms grow under microaerobic conditions but not aerobically or anaerobically. Growth occurs at 37°C and 42°C. The bacterium is oxidase and catalase positive but urease, alkaline phosphatase, and
-glutamyl transpeptidase negative. The organism hydrolyzes indoxyl acetate and grows in 1% glycine but does not reduce nitrate to nitrite. Cells are sensitive to nalidixic acid but resistant to cephalothin. Bacteria have been isolated from the feces of Canada geese. The type strain is MIT 04-9366 (ATCC BAA-1298). The 16S rRNA sequence accession number for the type strain is DQ415546, and that for the 23S rRNA is DQ418750.
S.H. and M.T. identified and collected samples from individual geese.
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