Streptococcus constellatus

{{Speciesbox

| genus =Streptococcus

| species = constellatus

| authority = (Prévot, 1924) Holdeman & Moore, 1974

| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies

| subdivision_ref = {{GBIF |id=9217795 |taxon=Streptococcus constellatus |accessdate=1 June 2021}}

| subdivision =

Streptococcus constellatus subsp. constellatus
Streptococcus constellatus subsp. pharyngis Whiley et al., 1999
Streptococcus constellatus subsp. viborgensis Jensen et al., 2013

}}

Streptococcus constellatus is a species of Streptococcus{{cite journal |vauthors=Jacobs JA, Schouls LM, Whiley RA |title= DNA-DNA reassociation studies of Streptococcus constellatus with unusual 16S rRNA sequences |journal= Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. |volume=50, Pt 1 |pages=247–9 |date= January 2000 |pmid=10826810 |doi= 10.1099/00207713-50-1-247|url=http://ijs.sgmjournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=10826810|doi-access=free }} bacteria that is part of the normal flora in the oral cavity, urogenital region, and intestinal tract. However, it can frequently cause purulent infections in other parts of the body.{{cite journal | vauthors = Whiley RA, Beighton D, Winstanley TG, Fraser HY, Hardie JM | year = 1992 | title = Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus constellatus, Streptococcus anginosus (the Streptococcus milleri group): Association with different body site and clinical infections | journal = J. Clin. Microbiol. | volume = 30 | issue = 1 | pages = 243–244 | doi = 10.1128/jcm.30.1.243-244.1992 | pmid = 1734062 | pmc = 265033 }} DNA homology studies and 16S rRNA sequence analysis demonstrate S. constellatus belongs to the Streptococcus anginosus group (milleri group) along with Streptococcus intermedius and Streptococcus anginosus.{{cite journal |vauthors=Whiley RA, Beighton D, Winstanley TG, Fraser HY, Hardie HM |title=Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus constellatus, and Streptococcus anginosus (the Streptococcus milleri group): Association with Different Body Sites and Clinical Infections |journal=J. Clin. Microbiol. |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=243–4 |date=January 1992 |doi=10.1128/jcm.30.1.243-244.1992 |pmid=1734062 |pmc=265033 }}

Morphology

S. constellatus are gram positive, non-sporing, non-motile, catalase negative cocci. The cells are small, normally 0.5-1μm in diameter and form short chains. Their cell wall peptidoglycan is composed of Lys-Ala_1-3 and has a DNA G+C content of 37-38%.Whiley, R. A., Hall, L. M. C., Hardie, J. M., Beighton, D.

A study of small-colony, {beta}-haemolytic, Lancefield group C streptococci within the anginosus group: description of Streptococcus constellatus subsp. pharyngis subsp. nov., associated with the human throat and pharyngitis

Int J Syst Bacteriol 1999 49: 1443-1449

Metabolism and growth

In the presence of CO₂ growth is enhanced, under aerobic conditions growth is reduced, and some strains require anaerobic conditions to grow.

S. constellatus produces major amounts of lactic acid, fermented glucose, maltose and sucrose, but not lactose and hydrolyzed aesculin.

=Biochemical characteristics=

The typical species is Lancefield Groups A,C, G, and F, with the remaining NG (non-groupable) and haemolysis on blood agar is β-haemolytic and NH (non-haemolytic).

Enzyme	S. constellatus	S. anginosus	S. intermedius
class="wikitable"
Beta-D-fucosidase	-	-	+
Beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase	-	-	+
Beta-N-galactosaminidase	-	-	+
Sialidase	-	-	+
Beta-galactosidase	-	-	+
Beta-glucosidase	-	+	+/-
Hyaluronidase	+	-	+

Stevens, D. and Kaplan, E. (2000). Steptococcal infections: clinical aspects, microbiology and molecular pathogenesis. Oxford University Press, Inc.: New York.

Disease

Clinically it is associated with abscess formation in the upper body and respiratory tract. It has also been found to be involved with pulmonary exacerbations in cystic fibrosis patients and can lead to toxic shock and limb amputation.{{cite journal |vauthors=Sibley CD, Parkins MD, Rabin HR, Duan K, Norgaard JC, Surette MG |title=A polymicrobial perspective of pulmonary infections exposes an enigmatic pathogen in cystic fibrosis patients. |journal=Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. |volume=105 |issue=39 |pages=15070–5 |date=September 2008 |pmid=18812504 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0804326105 |pmc=2567494|bibcode=2008PNAS..10515070S |doi-access=free }}

Subspecies

Evidence supports the further subdivision of S. constellatus into three subspecies, S. constellatus subsp. constellatus and S. constellatus subsp. pharyngis and Streptococcus constellatus subsp. viborgensis.

= ''S. constellatus subsp. constellatus'' =

Normally found in the oral cavities and upper respiratory tracts and isolated from purulent human infections, including appendicitis. Strains are frequently β-haemolyic and belong to Lancefield Group F or are nonhaemolytic (α and γ) and serologically ungroupable. However, a few strains react with Lancefield Group A, C, and G antisera.Whiley, R. A., Hall, L. M. C., Hardie, J. M., Beighton, D. A study of small-colony, {beta}-haemolytic, Lancefield group C streptococci within the anginosus group: description of Streptococcus constellatus subsp. pharyngis subsp. nov., associated with the human throat and pharyngitis Int J Syst Bacteriol 1999 49: 1443-1449

Most strains produce:

α-glucosidase, but very few produce: β-galactosidase and β-glucosidase

Most strains do NOT produce:

β-N-acetylglucosaminidase
β-D-fucosidase
α-galactosidase
β-glucuronidase
pyrrolidonylarylamidase
sialidase

= ''S. constellatus subsp. pharyngis''=

Normally found in infections of the human throat, patients with pharyngitis. Strains frequency are β-haemolytic and belong to Lancefield C.