BackgroundThere is strong evidence that culture-based methods detect only a small proportion of bacteria present in the respiratory tracts of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.Methodology/Principal FindingsStandard microbiological culture and phenotypic identification of bacteria in sputa from CF patients have been compared to molecular methods by the use of 16S rDNA amplification, cloning and sequencing. Twenty-five sputa from CF patients were cultured that yield 33 isolates (13 species) known to be pathogens during CF. For molecular cloning, 760 clones were sequenced (7.2±3.9 species/sputum), and 53 different bacterial species were identified including 16 species of anaerobes (30%). Discrepancies between culture and molecular data were numerous and demonstrate that accurate identification remains challenging. New or emerging bacteria not or rarely reported in CF patients were detected including Dolosigranulum pigrum, Dialister pneumosintes, and Inquilinus limosus.Conclusions/SignificanceOur results demonstrate the complex microbial community in sputa from CF patients, especially anaerobic bacteria that are probably an underestimated cause of CF lung pathology. Metagenomic analysis is urgently needed to better understand those complex communities in CF pulmonary infections.
Background: There is strong evidence that culture-based methods detect only a small proportion of bacteria present in the respiratory tracts of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.Methodology/Principal Findings: Standard microbiological culture and phenotypic identification of bacteria in sputa from CF patients have been compared to molecular methods by the use of 16S rDNA amplification, cloning and sequencing. Twenty-five sputa from CF patients were cultured that yield 33 isolates (13 species) known to be pathogens during CF. For molecular cloning, 760 clones were sequenced (7.263.9 species/sputum), and 53 different bacterial species were identified including 16 species of anaerobes (30%). Discrepancies between culture and molecular data were numerous and demonstrate that accurate identification remains challenging. New or emerging bacteria not or rarely reported in CF patients were detected including Dolosigranulum pigrum, Dialister pneumosintes, and Inquilinus limosus.Conclusions/Significance: Our results demonstrate the complex microbial community in sputa from CF patients, especially anaerobic bacteria that are probably an underestimated cause of CF lung pathology. Metagenomic analysis is urgently needed to better understand those complex communities in CF pulmonary infections.
Recent studies using 16S rRNA gene amplification followed by clonal Sanger sequencing in cystic fibrosis demonstrated that cultured microorganisms are only part of the infecting flora. The purpose of this paper was to compare pyrosequencing and clonal Sanger sequencing on sputum. The sputum of a patient with cystic fibrosis was analysed by culture, Sanger clone sequencing and pyrosequencing after 16S rRNA gene amplification. A total of 4,499 sequencing reads were obtained, which could be attributed to six consensus sequences, but the length of reads leads to fastidious data analysis. Compared to clonal Sanger sequencing and to cultivation results, pyrosequencing recovers greater species richness and gives a more reliable estimate of the relative abundance of bacterial species. The 16S pyrosequencing approach expands our knowledge of the microbial diversity of cystic fibrosis sputum. The current lack of phylogenetic resolution at the species level for the GS 20 sequencing reads will be overcome with the next generation of pyrosequencing apparatus.
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