Characterisation of Eubacterium-like strains isolated from oral infections

The genus Eubacterium currently includes a heterogeneous group of gram-posi tive, nonspore-forming anaerobic bacilli, many of which are slow growing, f astidious and generally unreactive in biochemical tests. As a consequence, cultivation and identification of isolates are difficult and the taxonomy o f the group remains indifferent. In this study, 105 isolates from odontogen ic infections, infections associated with dental implants or saliva from he althy subjects and provisionally assigned to the genus Eubacterium were sub jected to phenotypic and genotypic analysis. Ninety-one of the isolates wer e identified as belonging to one of 14 previously described species: Atopob ium parvulum (5 isolates), A. rimae (29), Bulleidia extructa (2), Cryptobac terium curtum (1), Dialister pneumosintes (1), Eubacterium saburreum (2), E . sulci (8), E. yurii subsp. yurii (1), Filifactor alocis (3), Lactobacillu s uli (1), Mogibacterium timidum (13), M. vescum (6), Pseudoramibacter alac tolyticus (6) and Slackia exigua (13). The remaining 14 isolates did not co rrespond to existing species. This study confirms the diversity of organism s provisionally assigned to the genus Eubacterium by conventional identific ation methods. This group of organisms is frequently isolated from oral inf ections but their role in the aetiology of these conditions has yet to be d etermined.