Attributes of Potential Utility in Differentiating among “Group H” Streptococci or Streptococcus sanguis

Abstract

The data presented here comprise a compilation of results of physiological, serological, and other tests performed on a collection of 28 strains of "viridans" streptococci purported to be group H streptococci or Streptococcus sanguis, or both. The collection includes most of the classical strains used for many years in original and subsequent studies of group H or S sanguis physiology and serology,1-1 1 genetics,12 19 and bacterioplhages.20-22 Our study was undertaken because no publication lists these strains individually by each characteristic, the literature is often unclear on strain origins or original designations, and the definition of serologic group H is uncertain as is its synonymity with S sanguis. In addition, we tliouglht it important to characterize the strains more fully to increase their utility for genetic and phage studies.Attempts to gather the required information from the literature are relatively unrewarding. Hare' first described group H streptococci as fl-hemolytic organisms from pharyngeal isolates of normal humans, whereas S sanguis is a name given to a group of a-hemolytic or viridans streptococci originating from the blood of patients with subacute bacterial endocarditis.2 More recently, it has become obvious that S sanguis is most common on tooth surfaces and may be involved in the development of carious lesions and endocarditis, but oropharyngeal isolates represent minimal and fortuitous trappings of streptococci in passage via saliva.23-25, Efforts to relate S sanguis and group H began with the work of Dodd4 and Porter-

Identification and preliminary characterization of a Streptococcus sanguis fibrillar glycoprotein

“…(3,26). Electron microscopy has also revealed fibrillar structures (earlier termed fuzzy coats) on a number of species of streptococci, including Streptococcus salivarius (16), group A streptococci (1,8,43), Streptococcus faecalis (18), and Streptococcus sanguis (4,12,13,17,19,27,36). Handley et al (16) define fibrils as structures extending from the cell surface which have a defined length but do not have a consistent width, presumably because they are clumped.…”

Serological relationships between serotype-III Streptococcus sanguis and Lancefield group-H Streptococci

“…Confusion has arisen from the use in the UK and USA of ill-defined strains of so-called "group-H" streptococci that differ in their serological specificity (Cole et al, 1976;Facklam, 1977). …”

“…Taxonomic properties of S. sanguis from the blood of patients with endocarditis and group-H streptococci from throats were found to be very similar (Hehre and Neill, 1946) and other workers also reported antigenic similarities between certain strains of S . sanguis and the group-H streptococci (Dodd, 1949 ;Porterfield, 1950;Farmer, 1954;Cole et al, 1976). Meanwhile, different strains of group-H streptococci were used as vaccines for production of commercial group-H antisera by different companies in the USA and UK.…”

“…Meanwhile, different strains of group-H streptococci were used as vaccines for production of commercial group-H antisera by different companies in the USA and UK. Unfortunately, Cole et al (1976) described later that the serological specificity of these strains was not identical, resulting in confusion about the group-H specificity.…”

Complete Genome and Transcriptomes of Streptococcus parasanguinis FW213: Phylogenic Relations and Potential Virulence Mechanisms

“…S. parasanguinis FW213, an isolate of human dental plaque [71], was chosen for this study for reasons listed below. First, FW213 is a frequent isolate of the dental plaque.…”