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M Goodfellow

Publications and source records attributed to M Goodfellow.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Classification of acidophilic, neutrotolerant and neutrophilic streptomycetes by nucleotide sequencing of 5S ribosomal RNA.

Complete 5S ribosomal RNA sequences were obtained for four acidophilic actinomycetes, seven neutrophilic streptomycetes and a strain of Streptoverticillium baldaccii. All of the organisms contained RNAs belonging to the 120 nucleotide type. An evolutionary tree was generated after combining the test data with results from similar studies on representative Gram-positive bacteria. The acidophilic, neutrotolerant and neutrophilic actinomycetes were recovered in a distinct cluster that was equated with the genus Streptomyces. The sequence data support the view that the genera Chainia, Elytrosporangium, Kitasatoa and Microellobosporia should be considered as synonyms of the genus Streptomyces. The recovery of the Streptoverticillium baldaccii strain on the fringe of the Streptomyces cluster is also consistent with current trends in the taxonomy of these organisms. Further work is needed to determine the taxonomic status of the two streptomycete subgroups that comprised the streptomycete cluster.

Actinomycetales↗
PubMed1991

Epidemiological typing of coagulase-negative staphylococci by pyrolysis mass spectrometry.

Pyrolysis mass spectrometry (PMS) was evaluated for the epidemiological typing of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) in situations in which it was necessary to distinguish between repeated isolation of the same strain from a single patient (genuine infection) and coincidental isolation of unrelated strains (contamination). Thirteen CNS isolates were examined, consisting of five pairs, each pair isolated from a single patient, and three unrelated strains. PMS analysis gave results equivalent to a conventional typing system comprising antibiogram, biotype and plasmid profile analysis. Both methods facilitate differentiation between genuine infection with CNS and the isolation of contaminants. The speed, reproducibility, versatility and relatively low cost of PMS suggest that it may be a valuable new technique for the epidemiological typing of CNS in routine clinical settings.

Coagulase↗
PubMed1991

Study shows ways to win, avoid union elections.

Because of an April Supreme Court ruling authorizing the National Labor Relations Board to establish eight collective bargaining units in hospitals, administrators should be concerned with consequences of unionization within their hospitals. A three-year study of union activity at hospitals across the nation indicated a typical pattern of union organization and isolated approaches a hospital should avoid to lessen the likelihood of employee dissatisfaction. Most important, administrators should establish a two-way communication system in which employees feel free to air grievances.

Communication↗
PubMed1990

Classification and identification of rhodococci.

Ninety-nine representative strains of Rhodococcus were compared through 129 unit characters and the data examined using the simple matching, Jaccard and pattern coefficients. Clustering was achieved using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages algorithm. The numerical classification was not affected by the statistics used or by test error, estimated at 1.95%. Sixteen multimembered and 23 single member clusters were defined by the simple matching coefficient at or above the 89% similarity level. The numerical phenetic data support the taxonomic integrity of all 13 validly described species of Rhodococcus, including Rhodococcus aichiensis. Rapid enzymic tests based upon fluorophores 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin and 4-methylumbelliferone provide valuable data for rhodococcal systematics.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗
PubMed1990

Amycolatopsis methanolica sp. nov., a facultatively methylotrophic actinomycete.

The generic position of a gram-positive, facultatively methylotrophic actinomycete known as Nocardia sp. strain 239 was determined by comparing reverse transcriptase sequences of 16S rRNA. The assignment of the organism to the genus Amycolatopsis was strongly supported by chemotaxonomic and morphological data. A comparison with the type strains of validly described Amycolatopsis species showed that the organism formed the nucleus of a new species. The name proposed for this new species is Amycolatopsis methanolica. The organism has been deposited in the National Collection of Industrial Bacteria as NCIB 11946.

Actinomycetales↗
PubMed1990

Pyrolysis-mass spectrometry (Py-MS) for the rapid epidemiological typing of clinically significant bacterial pathogens.

Fresh clinical isolates of Salmonella spp. and Streptococcus pyogenes were analysed by pyrolysis-mass spectrometry (Py-MS). The results formed the basis of mathematically derived characterizations of individual strains and these were compared with the results of phage typing for the salmonellas and M protein typing for the streptococci. Py-MS was shown to be a rapid and reproducible method for inter-strain comparisons, giving evidence of identity and non-identity between strains that agreed well with the results of conventional tests. Py-MS has potential value as a rapid, relatively inexpensive and highly discriminatory method of epidemiological analysis in bacterial disease.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗
PubMed1989

Lipid composition in the classification of Rhodococcus equi.

The fatty acid, menaquinone and polar lipid composition of representatives of Rhodococcus equi and related taxa were determined. All of the R. equi strains had major proportions of straight chain saturated, monounsaturated and 10-methyl branched fatty acids, dihydrogenated menaquinones with eight isoprene units as the predominant isoprenologue, and characteristic polar lipid patterns that contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannosides and glycolipids including a "cord factor"-like compound that was most pronounced in fresh isolates. The mycolic acids of these strains fell within the range C24 to C48, had 0 to 4 double bonds and released major amounts of C14:0 esters on pyrolysis. These lipid data provide further evidence that R. equi strains form a distinct taxospecies within the genus Rhodococcus. The remaining strains also gave lipid profiles consistent with their assignment to the genus Rhodococcus. These organisms included strains identified as R. sputi.

Chromatography, Thin Layer↗
PubMed1988

Deoxyribonucleic acid relatedness amongst Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus saprophyticus strains.

The degree of binding was determined between DNA preparations from 65 staphylococci representing cluster defined in a numerical phenetic survey and 3H-labelled DNA from reference strains of S. epidermidis, S. haemolyticus, S. hominis, S. saprophyticus and S. warneri. The congruence between the DNA pairing and numerical phenetic data was good with S. epidermidis and S. saprophyticus being shown to be genomic species. However, some strains identified as S. epidermidis using recommended diagnostic procedures were found to belong to other taxa, notably S. simulans and S. warneri. The moles percent guanine plus cytosine content of the DNA of the test strains was within the range 27 to 34.

Base Composition↗
PubMed1988

DNA base composition and homology values in the classification of some Rhodococcus species.

Similar DNA homology values were recorded when a modified S1 nuclease technique and a standard nitrocellulose membrane filter method were applied to representative strains of Rhodococcus. The DNA homology data showed that R. globerulus, R. luteus and R. sputi form distinct genomic species. The congruence between the DNA homology and earlier numerical phenetic data was good, but there was evidence that some strains had been misclassified in the previous studies. In particular, the type strains of R. obuensis and R. sputi belong to a single genomic species. The former name is thus a later, subjective synonym of the latter. The guanine plus cytosine content of the DNA of the rhodococci fell within the range 61 to 72 mol%.

Base Composition↗
PubMed1988

A numerical classification of the genus Bacillus.

Three hundred and sixty-eight strains of aerobic, endospore-forming bacteria which included type and reference cultures of Bacillus and environmental isolates were studied. Overall similarities of these strains for 118 unit characters were determined by the SSM, SJ and DP coefficients and clustering achieved using the UPGMA algorithm. Test error was within acceptable limits. Six cluster-groups were defined at 70% SSM, which corresponded to 69% SP and 48-57% SJ. Groupings obtained with the three coefficients were generally similar but there were some changes in the definition and membership of cluster-groups and clusters, particularly with the SJ coefficient. The Bacillus strains were distributed among 31 major (4 or more strains), 18 minor (2 or 3 strains) and 30 single-member clusters at the 83% SSM level. Most of these clusters can be regarded as taxospecies. The heterogeneity of several species, including Bacillus brevis, B. circulans, B. coagulans, B. megateriun, B. sphaericus and B. stearothermophilus, has been indicated and the species status of several taxa of hitherto uncertain validity confirmed. Thus on the basis of the numerical phenetic and appropriate (published) molecular genetic data, it is proposed that the following names be recognized; Bacillus flexus (Batchelor) nom. rev., Bacillus fusiformis (Smith et al.) comb. nov., Bacillus kaustophilus (Prickett) nom. rev., Bacillus psychrosaccharolyticus (Larkin & Stokes) nom. rev. and Bacillus simplex (Gottheil) nom. rev. Other phenetically well-defined taxospecies included 'B. aneurinolyticus', 'B. apiarius', 'B. cascainensis', 'B. thiaminolyticus' and three clusters of environmental isolates related to B. firmus and previously described as 'B. firmus-B. lentus intermediates'. Future developments in the light of the numerical phenetic data are discussed.

Bacillus↗
PubMed1988

Use of a state-level pharmaceutical assistance program among urban and rural elders.

A number of state-level pharmaceutical assistance programs have been established as a result of the growing recognition of the role of pharmaceuticals in the long-term care of the elderly. However, existing research does not provide a coherent expectation for patterns of use by rural and urban elderly. The data for this analysis are drawn from a larger study of the Pennsylvania Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PACE). PACE provides prescription medicines for elderly who meet income requirements. The research project was designed to assess the characteristics of PACE program participants and non-participants on a wide range of issues. Chi-square analysis and regression models were used to assess the association between rural and urban residence and access to the PACE Program. The results indicate that rural/urban status of the elderly is not a significant predictor of the use of PACE. Other traditional variables (e.g., health self-rating and physician visits) did predict difference in the pattern of use.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Analysis of dimycocerosates of glycosylphenolphthiocerols in the identification of some clinically significant mycobacteria.

Extracts of representative mycobacteria were examined by thin-layer chromatography for glycosylphenolphthiocerol dimycocerosates. The glycolipid typical of Mycobacterium bovis was also found in Mycobacterium africanum and Mycobacterium microti, but it was absent in Mycobacterium bovis AN 5. Mycobacterium gastri strains contained a glycolipid which was chromatographically similar to that in Mycobacterium kansasii. Representatives of Mycobacterium marinum produced a distinct glycolipid type, and one strain had major amounts of a more polar variant. The sugar moieties of purified lipids, including that from Mycobacterium leprae, were identified by thin-layer chromatography of methyl glycosides in acid methanolysates.

Chromatography, Thin Layer↗
PubMed1987

The taxonomic status of Rhodococcus equi.

The species Corynebacterium equi was proposed for strains isolated from foals suffering from purulent pneumonia. The taxon has had a confused history and is currently listed under both Corynebacterium and Rhodococcus in the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names. Data from modern taxonomic studies indicate that Corynebacterium equi Magnusson 1923 should be reduced to a synonym of Rhodococcus equi (Magnusson) Goodfellow and Alderson 1980. Rhodococcus equi has repeatedly been shown to be a good species on the basis of chemical, molecular biological, numerical phenetic and serological data. Improved methods are needed to differentiate Rhodococcus equi from closely related species of Rhodococcus.

Nocardiaceae↗
PubMed1987

Impact of plasmids and genetic change on the numerical classification of staphylococci.

Newly isolated bacterial strains often contain extrachromosomal DNA as plasmid DNA. These accessory components of the DNA gene pool confer additional phenotypic properties on their host but, despite this, little attention has been paid to the impact of plasmid-mediated characters on bacterial classification. In the present study, the effect of antibiotic resistance plasmids on the classification of representative staphylococci was determined using numerical phenetic techniques. Over sixty percent of the eighty-one test strains contained one or more plasmids which varied in molecular weight from 1.4 to 36 Mdal. Antibiotic resistance phenotypes were eliminated from strains of S. aureus, S. chromogenes, S. cohnii, S. hyicus and S. xylosus, and from a laboratory isolate, to give sixteen derivative strains. Fourteen had lost one or more plasmids and two had deleted plasmids. In addition three further derivative strains were isolated which showed no plasmid loss but exhibited gross phenotypic changes. The test and derivative strains were the subject of numerical phenetic analyses based on seventy-eight unit characters. Data were examined using the simple matching, Jaccard and pattern coefficients and clustering achieved using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages algorithm. Cluster composition was not markedly affected by the statistics used or by test error, estimated at 1.02%. Numerically circumscribed clusters and subclusters were equated with the established species S. aureus, S. chromogenes, S. cohnii, S. hyicus, S. lentus, S. intermedius, S. sciuri and S. xylosus. The sixteen derivative strains with either lost or delected plasmids were recovered in the same cluster or subcluster as their corresponding parent indicating that the removal of plasmid-expressed characters had little effect on the structure of the numerical classification. In contrast, two of the three strains of S. xylosus with genomically-derived phenotypic variation formed a cluster that separated from their parent strain at the 70% similarity level in the SSM, UPGMA analysis.

Animals↗