Rhodococcus

Synthesis of Important Chiral Building Blocks for Pharmaceuticals Using Lactobacillus and Rhodococcus Alcohol Dehydrogenases

Published in Peter Grunwald, Pharmaceutical Biocatalysis, 2019

Marion Rauter, Simon Krebs, Gotthard Kunze

Microorganisms capable of certain ketone reductions are isolated from natural sources in the search for effective biocatalysts. Rhodococcus sp. 1-0130 strain was identified for para-acetylphenol reduction to (S)-para-hydroxyphenylethanol under anaerobic conditions (Zhang et al., 2013).

Imipenem–Cilastatin and Imipenem–Relebactam

Published in M. Lindsay Grayson, Sara E. Cosgrove, Suzanne M. Crowe, M. Lindsay Grayson, William Hope, James S. McCarthy, John Mills, Johan W. Mouton, David L. Paterson, Kucers’ The Use of Antibiotics, 2017

Yoshiro Hayashi, David L. Paterson

Rhodococcus equi is usually susceptible to imipenem. For example, clinical isolates of R. equi in HIV-infected patients in 29 Spanish hospitals until 1998 were highly sensitive to imipenem (97.6%) (Torres-Tortosa et al., 2003). As Rhodococcus spp. are intracellular, In vitro susceptibility does not always equate to clinical effectiveness. Furthermore, the drug is not bactericidal against this organism. Combination with lipophilic antimicrobial agents with the ability to penetrate macrophages is needed for the treatment of this infection (Basant Arya, 2004). The imipenem–amikacin combination acts synergistically against R. equi (Nordmann et al., 1992). In vitro mutants of R. equi have been selected with decreased susceptibility to imipenem. In these, PBP3 was replaced by PBP3a, which probably explains the resistance, but the exact mechanism has not been determined (Nordmann et al., 1993).

Published in Ronald M. Atlas, James W. Snyder, Handbook Of Media for Clinical Microbiology, 2006

Ronald M. Atlas, James W. Snyder

Use: For the cultivation of Corynebacterium spp., Streptomyces flocculus, Mycobacterium spp., Nocardia spp., Rhodococcus spp., Dermatophilus congo-lensis, and Gordonia amicalis.

Treating bacterial pneumonia in people living with HIV

Published in Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine, 2019

Jerry S. Zifodya, Kristina Crothers

‘Atypical’ pathogens such as Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae are less common etiologic agents with rates that are inversely proportional to CD4 cell counts [3,112]. L. pneumophila occurs up to 40 times more frequently in PLWH than in HIV-uninfected individuals [13]. PLWH with L. pneumophila, particularly those with advanced immunosuppression, often present with more severe CAP than HIV-uninfected individuals [113]. Diagnostic methods include culture, urinary antigen and real-time PCR (rtPCR) as well as serology [112,114]. Diagnosis of M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae can be made via nucleic acid amplification tests for increased sensitivity and expedient identification of these organisms [115]. Rhodococcus equi and Nocardia spp. are fastidious bacteria that often mimic TB infection both in indolence and imaging findings of pulmonary consolidation with cavitation. These are infrequently isolated in advanced AIDS with CD4 count less than 50 cells/µL and have become rare due to ART. Treatment for R. equi is based on antimicrobial sensitivity testing with combination therapy often required. Nocardia spp. is treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and incidence has reduced at least in part due to prophylaxis for PCP. Nocardia spp. has a predilection for the central nervous system thus brain imaging should be carried out in any individuals diagnosed with pulmonary nocardiosis.

Factors determining phage stability/activity: challenges in practical phage application

Published in Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy, 2019

Ewa Jończyk-Matysiak, Norbert Łodej, Dominika Kula, Barbara Owczarek, Filip Orwat, Ryszard Międzybrodzki, Joanna Neuberg, Natalia Bagińska, Beata Weber-Dąbrowska, Andrzej Górski

Moreover, a Rhodococcus equi REQ1 phage was tested in the solid form [153]. The phage activity was retained for 60 days in pessary/suppository form and for as long as 90 days in troche form at 4°C. Phages included in tablets and powders may ensure the maintenance of phage titer and its stability when stored in low humidity [159]. However, Ly-Chatain (2014) found that phages in solid media may have limited diffusion, which may be a possible reason for reduced absorption to bacterial cells and therapeutic failure [160]. Also the KOX1 phage active against K. oxytoca had the ability to survive in stimulated gastric conditions (0.32% (wt/vol) pepsin, pH 2.5) in a troche form [161]. It was capable of retaining stability in solid forms for 90 min when the titer was reduced from 4.5 × 108 pfu/ml to 104 pfu/ml. Interestingly, the formulations had a stable titer for at least 49 days for suppositories and as long as 56 days for troches when stored at 4°C without access to light. Furthermore, the suppositories were found to contain more than 107 pfu/ml active phages. Another form of preparation intended for healing with antibacterial potential against Pseudomonas was described by Sarhan and Azzazy (2017), who presented the possibility to use a PS1 phage at a titer 109–1010 pfu/ml loaded nanofibers containing chitosan and bee venom [162].

Preparation of a mesoporous silica quorum quenching medium for wastewater treatment using a membrane bioreactor

Published in Biofouling, 2020

Kibaek Lee, Kwang-Ho Choo, How Yong Ng, Chung-Hak Lee

Rhodococcus sp. BH4 was chosen as a QQ bacterium because it had been widely reported to be effective for the control of biofouling in MBR (Oh and Lee 2018; Oh et al. 2012). Agrobacterium tumefaciens A136 (Ti-)(pCF218)(pCF372), containing plasmids pCF218 and pCF372 that encode an AHL-responsive transcription factor traR and a traR-regulated traI-lacZ reporter, respectively, was used a reporter strain.