Isolation of Waddlia malaysiensis, a novel intracellular bacterium, from fruit bat (Eonycteris spelaea)

Emerg Infect Dis. 2005 Feb;11(2):271-7. doi: 10.3201/eid1102.040746.

Abstract

An obligate intracellular bacterium was isolated from urine samples from 7 (3.5%) of 202 fruit bats (Eonycteris spelaea) in peninsular Malaysia. The bacterium produced large membrane-bound inclusions in human, simian, and rodent cell lines, including epithelial, fibroblastlike, and lymphoid cells. Thin-section electron microscopy showed reticulate bodies dividing by binary fission and elementary bodies in the inclusions; mitochondria surrounded the inclusions. The inclusions were positive for periodic acid-Schiff stain but could not be stained by fluorescein-labeled anti-Chlamydia trachomatis major outer membrane protein monoclonal antibody. The bacterium was resistant to penicillin and streptomycin (MICs > 256 mg/L) but susceptible to tetracycline (MIC = 0.25 mg/L) and chloramphenicol (MIC = 0.5 mg/L). Sequence analysis of the 16SrRNA gene indicated that it was most closely related to 2 isolates of Waddlia chondrophila (94% and 96% identity). The 16S and 23S rRNA gene signatures were only 91% identical. We propose this novel bacterium be called W. malaysiensis.

MeSH terms

  • 3T3 Cells
  • Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine / chemistry
  • Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine / genetics
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Base Sequence
  • Chiroptera / microbiology*
  • Chiroptera / urine
  • Chlamydiales / drug effects
  • Chlamydiales / genetics
  • Chlamydiales / isolation & purification*
  • Chlamydiales / ultrastructure
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Cricetinae
  • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / chemistry
  • DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / genetics
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / chemistry
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / chemistry
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / genetics
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Vero Cells

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • DNA, Ribosomal Spacer
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 23S
  • Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine
  • muracein A