RECOGNITION OF DERMABACTER-HOMINIS, FORMERLY CDC FERMENTATIVE CORYNEFORM GROUP-3 AND GROUP-5, AS A POTENTIAL HUMAN PATHOGEN

Thirty strains of fermentative coryneform-like bacteria designated CDC fermentative coryneform group 3 and coryneform group 5 were compared biochemically by cellular fatty acid analysis and by DNA relatedness w ith the type strain of Dermabacter hominis, ATCC 49369. DNA from 22 st rains of both CDC groups showed 69 to 96% relatedness (hydroxyapatite method) to labeled DNA from ATCC 49369 and to DNA from CDC group 3 str ain G4964, and the strains are considered to belong to D. hominis. The remaining eight strains were genetically but not phenotypically diffe rentiable from D. hominis. They were genetically heterogenous, but hyb ridization results indicated that they probably belong to the genus De rmabacter. Thirteen of the 22 D. hominis strains and all 8 of the othe r Dermabacter strains had been isolated from blood, which indicates th e pathogenic potential of this species and genus.