Brachyspira pilosicoli

(aka Serpulina pilosicoli)

Bacteria
General | Carbohydrate O/F | Substrate utilisation | Enzymes | Metabolites | Antibiotics

Overview

  • Brachyspira pilosicoli, (aka Serpulina pilosicoli), is a Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, facultatively anaerobic, motile, spirochete bacterium. It has been detected in at least 6 gut microbiome compilation studies or metastudies. The DNA G+C content is 24.6%. Brachyspira pilosicoli is likely to be transient and not a long-term gut coloniser. (Stanton2010Bergey; Ochiai1997; Trott1996)



  • This organism has been recovered from human faeces, and pig intestine. The risk classification (www.baua.de) for this organism is 2, i.e., risk of individual infection, but low risk of spread (notes: human and animal pathogen). It is an opportunistic pathogen. A possible gut commensal.
    • QUIRKS
  • Pathogenic; unlikely to be a coloniser in a healthy microbiome.
    • GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS (Stanton2010Bergey); (Ochiai1997); (Trott1996);
    Character Response
  • Substrates hydrolysed or digested:
  • aesculin; hippurate;
  • pH
  • Acidity tolerance:
  • tolerates pH 5.6; tolerates pH 8;
  • 🌡
  • Temperature tolerance:
  • doesn't grow at 32℃; doesn't grow at 45℃; Grows optimally at 37-42℃.
  • H+
  • Acid from carbohydrates usually produced:
  • fructose; fucose; glucose; mannose; ribose; cellubiose; maltose; sucrose; trehalose; dulcitol; N-Ac glucosamine;
  • ±
  • Strain-dependent acid from carbs:
  • galactose; xylose;
  • ⥅
  • Substrates assimilated or utilised:
  • N-acetylglucosamine; cellubiose; fructose; fucose; galactose; glucose; maltose; mannose; ribose; sucrose; trehalose; pyruvate;
  • ±
  • Strain-dependent substrate utilisation:
  • hippurate;
  • Active enzymes:
  • alkaline phosphatase; β-galactosidase;
  • ±
  • Strain-dependent active enzymes:
  • α-galactosidase;
    • SPECIAL FEATURES (Stanton2010Bergey); (Ochiai1997); (Trott1996);
    Character Response
  • ✓
  • Metabolites produced:
  • acetate (major); butyrate (minor); ethanolminor; H₂S; CO₂; H₂ (major);
  • ✗
  • Metabolites not produced:
  • lactate; valerate; isobutyrate; propanol; butanol; succinate; indole;
  • Haemolysis:
  • present but weak
  • ✗
  • Nitrate:
  • not reduced
    • RESPONSE TO ANTIBIOTICS (Stanton2010Bergey); (Trott1996);
    Class Active Resistant
  • Penicillins:
  • ampicillin;
  • Macrolides:
  • erythromycin; spiramycin;
  • Quinolines:
  • nalidixic-acid;
  • Aminoglycosides:
  • kanamycin; neomycin; spectinomycin; streptomycin;
  • Polypep/ketides:
  • rifampicin;
  • Heterocycles:
  • chloramphenicol; metronidazole;
  • Vancomycins:
  • vancomycin;
  • Miscellaneous antibiotics:
  • lincomycin;
  • colistin; novobiocin; polymyxin B;
  • NOTES

    Produces acidic metabolites from both glucosamine and pyruvate.

  • Mikosza, A. S., La, T., de Boer, W. B., & Hampson, D. J. (2001). Comparative prevalences of Brachyspira aalborgi and Brachyspira (Serpulina) pilosicoli as etiologic agents of histologically identified intestinal spirochetosis in Australia. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 39(1), 347–350.

    • Details

    GENERAL
    Lineage Physiology General Growth Tolerances Hydrol./digest./degr.
    Phylum:  Spirochaetes Class:  Spirochaetia Order:  Brachyspirales Family:  Brachyspiraceae Genus:  Brachyspira Alt. name:  Serpulina pilosicoli Gram stain:  neg O2 Relation.:  facultatively anaerobic Spore:  No spore Motility:  Swimming Morphology:  Spirochete
    Health:  Unknown
    Source:  human faeces, and pig intestine
    DNA G+C(%):  24.6
    Opt. T:  37-42℃
    Mid T(℃):  32(neg)
    High T(℃):  45(neg)
    pH 4.2-5.9:  5.6(+)
    pH 6.0-8.0:  8(+)
    		Aesculin:  + Urea:  neg Gelatin:  neg Hippurate:  +
    CARBOHYDRATE ACID FORMATION
    Monosaccharide O/F Oligosaccharide O/F Polysaccharide O/F Polyol O/F Other O/F
    Fructose:  d(+) Fucose:  + Galactose:  d Glucose:  + Mannose:  d(+) Ribose:  + Xylose:  d Cellubiose:  + Maltose:  d(+) Sucrose:  + Trehalose:  + Dulcitol:  d(+) NAc-α-GA:  +
    SUBSTRATE ASSIMILATION & UTILISATION
    Monosaccharide util/assim Oligosaccharide util/assim Other carboh. util/assim Amino acid util/assim Organic acid util/assim
    L-Arabinose:  neg Fructose:  + Fucose:  + D-Fucose:  neg Galactose:  + Glucose:  + Mannose:  + Rhamnose:  neg Ribose:  + Xylose:  neg Cellubiose:  + Maltose:  + Melibiose:  neg Sucrose:  + Trehalose:  + N_Acetyl_glucosamine:  + Aesculin:  neg Glycerol:  neg Glycogen:  neg Mannitol:  neg Pectin:  neg Starch:  neg Hippurate:  d Acetate:  neg Lactate:  neg Pyruvate:  + Succinate:  neg
    ENZYME ACTIVITY
    Enzymes: General Enzymes: Carbohydrate Enzymes: Protein Enzymes: Arylamidases Enzymes: Esters/fats
    Urease:  neg Ac-β-glcamnd:  neg α-Fucosidase:  neg α-Galactosidase:  d β-Galactosidase:  + α-Glucosidase:  neg β-Glucosidase:  neg β-Glucuronidase:  neg ArgDH:  neg GluDC:  neg AlanineAA:  neg GluGluAA:  neg GlyAA:  neg LeuAA:  neg LeuGlyAA:  neg PyrrolidAA:  neg AlkalineP:  +
    METABOLITES - PRODUCTION & USE
    Fuel Usable Metabolites Metabolites Released Special Products Compounds Produced

    		Acetate:  Major(+) Butyrate:  minor(+) Lactate:  neg Valerate:  neg Isobutyrate:  neg Ethanol:  minor Propanol:  neg Butanol:  neg Succinate:  neg H2S:  + CO2:  + H2:  Major(+) Indole:  neg
    ANTIBIOTICS ℞
    Penicillins & Penems (μg/mL) Cephalosporins (μg/mL) Aminoglycosides (μg/mL) Macrolides (μg/mL) Quinolones (μg/mL)
    ampicillin:  S(10)
    kanamycin:  R(20)
    neomycin:  R(100)
    spectinomycin:  Res
    streptomycin:  R(50)
    erythromycin:  R(100)
    spiramycin:  R(50)
    nalidixic-acid:  R(200)
    Tetracyclines (μg/mL) Vancomycin Class (μg/mL) Polypep/ketides (μg/mL) Heterocycles (μg/mL) Other (μg/mL)
    vancomycin:  Res
    rifampicin:  R(20)
    chloramphenicol:  S(5)
    metronidazole:  S(0.1)
    lincomycin:  S(1)
    novobiocin:  R(20)
    colistin:  Res
    polymyxin_B:  Res

    References

    SPECIFIC REFERENCES FOR BRACHYSPIRA PILOSICOLI
  • Stanton2010Bergey - Bergey's manual of systematic bacteriology. Vol. 4, The Spirochetes. Family Brachyspiraceae, Genus I. Brachyspira
  • Ochiai1997 - Unification of the genera Serpulina and Brachyspira, and proposals of Brachyspira hyodysenteriae Comb. Nov., Brachyspira innocens Comb. Nov. and Brachyspira pilosicoli Comb. Nov.
  • Trott1996 - Serpulina pilosicoli sp. nov., the Agent of Porcine Intestinal Spirochetosis.
  • ...............................
    • GUT MICROBIOME COMPILATIONS AND METASTUDIES FOR BRACHYSPIRA PILOSICOLI
  • Byrd2020 - Stability and dynamics of the human gut microbiome and its association with systemic immune traits.
  • Lagier2016 - Culture of previously uncultured members of the human gut microbiota by culturomics.
  • New2022 - Collective effects of human genomic variation on microbiome function.
  • RajilicStojanovic2014 - The first 1000 cultured species of the human gastrointestinal microbiota.
  • Zeller2014 - Potential of fecal microbiota for early-stage detection of colorectal cancer
  • ...............................
    • Added: April 08, 2021