Isolation of a mucoid alginate-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain from the equine guttural pouch

J Clin Microbiol. 1992 Mar;30(3):595-9. doi: 10.1128/jcm.30.3.595-599.1992.

Abstract

The isolation and characterization of a mucoid, alginate-producing strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from a nonhuman host, namely, in chondroids from an equine guttural pouch, is reported for the first time. Pure cultures of P. aeruginosa 12534 were isolated from a 17-month-old pony mare with a history of chronic bilateral mucopurulent nasal discharge from the right guttural pouch. Transmission electron microscopy of chondroids showed mucoid P. aeruginosa growing as microcolonies within a matrix of extracellular material. On the basis of expression of the mucoid phenotype under different growth conditions, P. aeruginosa 12534 belongs to group 1 and resembles other isolates carrying the muc-23 mutation. The bulk of the extracellular material was characterized as being alginate by chemical and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance analyses, which showed that it had a composition similar to that produced by isolates of P. aeruginosa from human patients with cystic fibrosis.

MeSH terms

  • Alginates / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Eustachian Tube / microbiology
  • Female
  • Glucuronic Acid
  • Hexuronic Acids
  • Horse Diseases / microbiology
  • Horses / microbiology*
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Pseudomonas Infections / microbiology
  • Pseudomonas Infections / veterinary
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / growth & development
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / isolation & purification*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / metabolism

Substances

  • Alginates
  • Hexuronic Acids
  • Glucuronic Acid