Detection and virulence potential of a phospholipase D-negative Corynebacterium ulcerans from a concurrent diphtheria and infectious mononucleosis case

• Published in: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Vol. 112; no. 7; pp. 1055 - 1065
• Main Authors: Simpson-Lourêdo, Liliane, Silva, Cecília M. F., Hacker, Elena, Souza, Nadjla F., Santana, Milena M., Antunes, Camila A., Nagao, Prescilla E., Hirata, Raphael, Burkovski, Andreas, Villas Bôas, Maria Helena S., Mattos-Guaraldi, Ana Luíza
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-07-2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Adults; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Caenorhabditis elegans; Camp test; Children; Collagen; Collagen (type I); Corynebacterium; Corynebacterium - classification; Corynebacterium - drug effects; Corynebacterium - genetics; Corynebacterium - isolation & purification; Corynebacterium Infections - microbiology; Diphtheria; Diphtheria - microbiology; Diphtheria toxin; Environmental conditions; Fibrinogen; Fibronectin; Humans; Infectious mononucleosis; Infectious Mononucleosis - microbiology; Life Sciences; Male; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; Mononucleosis; Nematodes; Original Paper; Phospholipase; Phospholipase D; Phospholipase D - analysis; Phospholipase D - metabolism; Plant Sciences; Proteins; Soil Science & Conservation; Toxins; Virulence; Virulence factors; Virulence Factors - analysis; Virulence Factors - metabolism; Worms; Co-infection; Zoonosis; Diphtheria; Virulence factors; Infectious mononucleosis; Corynebacterium ulcerans
• ISSN: 0003-6072; 1572-9699
• DOI: 10.1007/s10482-019-01240-4

Diphtheria by 
Corynebacterium ulcerans
 is increasingly occurring in children, adolescents and adults. In addition to diphtheria toxin (DT), phospholipase D (PLD) is considered a virulence factor of 
C. ulcerans
. In the present study, a first case of concurrent diphtheria by a PLD-negative
C. ulcerans
 and infectious mononucleosis (IM) was verified. Clinical and microbiological profiles and binding properties to human Fibrinogen (Fbg), Fibronectin (Fn) and type I collagen (col I) biotinylated proteins and virulence to
Caenorhabditis elegans
were investigated for
C. ulcerans
strain 2590 (clinical isolate) and two control strains, including PLD-positive BR-AD22 wild type and PLD-negative ELHA-1 PLD mutant strains. MALDI-TOF assays and a multiplex PCR of genes coding for potentially toxigenic corynebacteria identified strain 2590 as non-DT producing. Interestingly, strain 2590 did not express PLD activity in the CAMP test although the presence of the
pld
 gene was verified. PLD-negative 2590 and a PLD-positive 210932 strains showed similar affinity to Fbg, Fn and type I collagen.
C. elegans
 were able to escape from 
C. ulcerans
strains, independent of PLD and DT production. Higher mortality of nematodes was verified for PLD-negative strains. Additional studies concerning multifactorial virulence potential of
C. ulcerans
, including environmental conditions remain necessary.