Phylogenetic evidence for reclassification of Calymmatobacterium granulomatis as Klebsiella granulomatis comb. nov.

Abstract

By sequencing a total of 2089 bp of the 16s rRNA and phoE genes it was demonstrated that Calymmatobacterium grandomatis (the causative organism of donovanosis) shows a high level of identity with Klebsiella species pathogenic to humans (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis). It is proposed that C. grandomatis should be reclassified as Klebsiella granulomatis comb. nov. An emended description of the genus Klebsiella is given.

Phylogenetic analyses of Klebsiella species delineate Klebsiella and Raoultella gen. nov., with description of Raoultella ornithinolytica comb. nov., Raoultella terrigena comb. nov. and Raoultella planticola comb. nov.

“…pneumoniae, K. pneumoniae subsp. rhinoscleromatis, K. oxytoca, K. ornithinolytica and K. planticola and disclosed the three-cluster organization we investigated (Carter et al, 1999). In this study, polyphyletic positions were supported by reasonably high bootstrap values of 50 %.…”

“…The last two of these species were subsequently combined as K. planticola on the basis of their extensive DNA-DNA homology (Gavini et al, 1986). Finally, Calymmatobacterium granulomatis, the presumed causative agent of donovanosis, was recently reclassified as Klebsiella granulomatis on the basis of phylogenetic data (Kharsany et al, 1999 ;Carter et al, 1999). The latest edition of (Ørskov, 1984) classified the genus Klebsiella into five species, namely K. pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, K. terrigena, K. ornithinolytica and K. planticola.…”

“…While some genera have been investigated in detail, e.g. Yersinia (Ibrahim et al, 1994), Salmonella (Chang et al, 1997 ;Christensen et al, 1998), Serratia (Dauga et al, 1990 ;Harada et al, 1996) and Erwinia (Kwon et al, 1997 ;Hauben et al, 1998), the genus Klebsiella has not been analysed extensively (Carter et al, 1999). The taxonomy of the genus Klebsiella was characterized by a nomenclature reflecting its colourful history.…”

Comparative analyses of phenotypic methods and 16S rRNA, khe, rpoB genes sequencing for identification of clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae

“…Two species, K. variicola and K. pneumoniae, and the subspecies relationships in K. pneumoniae could not be resolved based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, in accord with previous studies (e.g., Martínez et al 2004). The finding that K. granulomatis is clustered within K. pneumoniae suggests that K. granulomatis may represent a subspecies of K. pneumoniae (Carter et al 1999). Considering the heterogeneity of 16S rRNA gene (Hashimoto et al 2003;Martínez-Murcia et al 1999;Ueda et al 1999), the clustering of K. pneumoniae strains should be interpreted with caution.…”

Sexually transmitted diseases: microbiology and management Proceedings of the Seventh Liverpool Tropical School Bayer Symposium on Microbial Disease held on 6 February 2000

“…The diagnosis is made by recognising intracellular organisms (Donovan bodies) in Giemsa-stained material taken from lesions. This technique was first used in India by Donovan, who examined material from an unusual oral lesion from a boy who worked on his In 1999 [79], evidence was put forward to justify changing the name of the causative organism from Calymmatobacterium granulomatis to Klebsiella granulomatis. This was based on sequencing the phoE and 16S ribosomal RNA genes and demonstrating close homology with K. pneumoniae and K. rhinoscleromatis.…”