ASSIGNMENT OF THE BACTERIAL AGENT OF URINARY CALCULUS IN YOUNG-RATS BY THE COMPARATIVE SEQUENCE-ANALYSIS OF THE 16S RIBOSOMAL-RNA GENES OF CORYNEBACTERIA

Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to assign four isolates of spontaneous urinary calculus in young laboratory rats. The phylogen etic relationships among the rat isolates and selected species of cory nebacteria were also inferred. Based on the homology and evolutionary distance analysis, the 16S rRNA genes of the rat isolates were almost identical with that of Corynebacterium renale ATCC 19412(T). Also the results of the phylogenetic analysis showed a close relationship among the isolates and C, renale, but they were clearly different from C, p ilosum, C. cystitidis, C, kutscheri and Rhodococcus equi. The results of the present study and previously published biochemical data demonst rate that the organism involving urinary infections in young rats is i dentified to be C. renale.