“…A variety of neurological disorders have been reported in humans with brain lesions that were indu,ced by various Nocardia species (11). These range from physical disabilities and movement disorders, such as hemiparesis (2,7,19,27,29), body tremors and parkinsonian features (14,18,22), seizures (13,19), retropulsion (27), and ataxia (8,9,14,27), to mental disorders, such as schizophrenia (15), manic depression (15), dyslexia (2), hallucinations (9), amnesia (7), and pruritus (24).…”
Nonlethal infection of BALB/c mice with Nocardia asteroides GUH-2 (GUH-2) produces a variety of neurological signs, including an L-dopa-responsive movement disorder in 10 to 15% of the infected population. To study nocardial interactions with the brain, we characterized the attachment of GUH-2 within specific regions through the use of microdissection. Following an intravenous injection of a single-cell suspension of log-phase GUH-2, viable cells were recovered from all regions of the brain, and the distribution of the nocardiae was independent of the size of the inoculum. In addition, two mutants of GUH-2 were found to possess significantly altered binding characteristics with regard to both the percentage of the inoculum bound per brain and the relative distribution of adherence to regions of the brain, when compared with the parental strain. These results indicated that GUH-2 bound throughout the murine brain and suggested that GUH-2 utilized specific receptors to facilitate this attachment.
“…A variety of neurological disorders have been reported in humans with brain lesions that were indu,ced by various Nocardia species (11). These range from physical disabilities and movement disorders, such as hemiparesis (2,7,19,27,29), body tremors and parkinsonian features (14,18,22), seizures (13,19), retropulsion (27), and ataxia (8,9,14,27), to mental disorders, such as schizophrenia (15), manic depression (15), dyslexia (2), hallucinations (9), amnesia (7), and pruritus (24).…”
Nonlethal infection of BALB/c mice with Nocardia asteroides GUH-2 (GUH-2) produces a variety of neurological signs, including an L-dopa-responsive movement disorder in 10 to 15% of the infected population. To study nocardial interactions with the brain, we characterized the attachment of GUH-2 within specific regions through the use of microdissection. Following an intravenous injection of a single-cell suspension of log-phase GUH-2, viable cells were recovered from all regions of the brain, and the distribution of the nocardiae was independent of the size of the inoculum. In addition, two mutants of GUH-2 were found to possess significantly altered binding characteristics with regard to both the percentage of the inoculum bound per brain and the relative distribution of adherence to regions of the brain, when compared with the parental strain. These results indicated that GUH-2 bound throughout the murine brain and suggested that GUH-2 utilized specific receptors to facilitate this attachment.
“…Bronchoscopy, percutaneous lung biopsy, and transtracheal aspiration may all be necessary (Frazier et al, 1975). Needling of a cerebral mass lesion in confirmed pulmonary nocardiosis is not usually indicated for diagnosis and may be followed by meningeal contamination as in our second case and elsewhere (Turner, 1954;Kremer, 1972).…”
From the very beginning, there has been uncertainty over the taxonomic position of nocardioforms, i.e., bacteria that resemble Nocardia organisms. The specific taxonomy of isolates of this heterogenous group of organisms is still in flux and controversial (275, 278, 403, 404, 420, 584, 676, 699). During the ensuing 100 years, it has been shown that N. asteroides is a heterogeneous taxon (275, 403, 404, 420). It is not within the scope of this review to address this complex subject, yet it is important to note that N. asteroides, as currently defined, probably consists of several subtypes and/or species. These include N. asteroides sensu stricto, N. farcinica, N. nova, and several distinct serotypes and biotypes (278, 403, 404, 698, 699, 727). Regardless of their designation, all of these varieties of the N. asteroides taxon have been isolated from humans and animals with serious (often fatal) infections (93, 584, 698, 699). The other pathogenic Nocardia species appear to be taxonomically more homogeneous and include N. brasiliensis, N. otitidiscaviarum (N. caviae), and N. transvalensis (275, 420). There is even one Nocardia species that infects plants: N. vaccinii, which causes galls on blueberry plants (420).
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