Biology:Abiotrophia defectiva

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Short description: Species of bacteria

Abiotrophia defectiva
Bacterial smear of Abiotrophia defectiva, circular petri dish displaying purple sections of bacteria sporadically grouped throughout the dish
Bacterial smear
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Bacillota
Class: Bacilli
Order: Lactobacillales
Family: Aerococcaceae
Genus: Abiotrophia
Species:
A. defectiva
Binomial name
Abiotrophia defectiva
(Bouvet et al. 1989) Kawamura et al. 1995[1][2]
Type strain
GIFU 12707
Synonyms[3]
  • Streptococcus defectivus Bouvet et al. 1989

Abiotrophia defectiva is a Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic, pleomorphic, usually commensal, bacterium of the genus Abiotrophia most commonly found in the oral microbiota, colonising early dental plaque.[2][4] Other locations for A. defectiva consist of the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts.[5] Despite typically being commensal, it has been identified as a possible cause of culture-negative infective endocarditis, dental caries[6] and bacteremia.[5]

Taxonomy and classification

When discovered, A. defectiva was initially known as a nutritionally variant streptococci (NVS), and due to its poor adherence to a standard shape, there was difficulty in classifying it to a genus.[7] It was later classified a member of the genus Streptococcus under the name Streptococcus defectivus. It was classified under this genus due to morphological and biochemical factors such as their chain-forming cocci, an absence of catalase activity and their growth and gas production behaviour in different broth environments. Low DNA relatedness between A. defectiva and the type and reference strains of Streptococcus distinguished it as a separate species rather than a strain.[3]

In 1995, it was reclassified under its current name Abiotrophia defectiva due to its low phylogenetic similarity to other Streptococcus species with the closest related being Streptococcus hyointestinalis with a homology level of 89.2%, which led to its reclassification to its own new genus, Abiotrophia.[2] It is the only species classified under its genus, and is the type species.

Morphology

Abiotrophia defectiva is typically coccus-shaped. However, due to its pleomorphism, can morph into other shapes, such as ovoid (0.40–0.55 μm)[3], coccobacilli or rod-shaped cells depending on growth conditions. It can appear alone, in pairs, or form chains of variable length.[2] As a NVS, A. defectiva had thicker cell walls and improper septation.[8]

On a Gram stain, A. defectiva most commonly appears as Gram-positive, however, in certain growing conditions can stain Gram-variable, most commonly in low-nutrient environments.[9]

As A. defectiva is non-motile,[3] it lacks any external structures that aid movement such as flagella.

Physiology

Abiotrophia defectiva is a fastidious organism, and requires complex living conditions in order to grow. Being facultative anaerobic, it requires an atmosphere of 5–10% CO₂ to grow optimally.[10] In laboratory conditions, it requires a medium supplemented with pyridoxal or cysteine to support its growth, as it requires the pyridoxal in human blood to support itself.[11]

If the required nutrients are not present in order for the bacterium to support itself, it will attempt to form satellite colonies with other species that can supply required nutrients, such as Staphylococcus aureus.[11]

Abiotrophia defectiva is both catalase-negative and oxidase-negative, and produces lactic acid.[3]

Clinical significance

Pathogenicity

Abiotrophia defectiva is an opportunistic[12] bacterium that has links to a wide variety of bloodstream-related diseases,[13] As it is found in the oral cavity, people with recent dental procedures or poor dental hygiene are at a higher risk of infection via entry into the bloodstream from the mouth.[14] Twenty-seven putative virulence factors have been identified.[6]

Linked diseases

Abiotrophia defectiva has been most significantly linked to culture-negative[15] infective endocarditis, related to approximately 1–2% of cases.[16] Due to its fastidious nature, it is difficult to diagnose early, and is resistant to cocmmon antibiotics.[17] It has a mortality rate of 17% which is higher than other bacteria that can cause the infection.[18] It can lead to other complications such as septic embolisation, cerebral abscess, mycotic aneurysm, endophthalmitis and other infection-related diseases.[19]

It is also a cause of bacteraemia, a bloodstream infection in which A. defectiva typically gains access via the oral cavity. Bacteraemia from A. defectiva can lead to other more severe diseases such as infective endocarditis.[14][20][21]

While less common, there have also been reported cases of A. defectiva being a cause of postkeratoplasty keratitis[22], brain infarction, subarachnoid haemorrhage,[23] native vertebral osteomyelitis,[24] and septic arthritis.[19] There have also been rare cases of peritonitis[25], and prosthetic joint infection[26].

References

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named lpsn
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 KAWAMURA, YOSHIAKI; HOU, XIAO-GANG; SULTANA, FERDOUSI; LIU, SHUJUN; YAMAMOTO, HIROYUKI; EZAKI, TAKAYUKI (1995). "Transfer of Streptococcus adjacens and Streptococcus defectivus to Abiotrophia gen. nov. as Abiotrophia adiacens comb. nov. and Abiotrophia defectiva comb. nov., Respectively". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 45 (4): 798–803. doi:10.1099/00207713-45-4-798. ISSN 1466-5034. PMID 7547302. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Bouvet, Anne; Grimont, Francine; Grimont, Patrick A. D. (1989). "Streptococcus defectivus sp. nov. and Streptococcus adjacens sp. nov., Nutritionally Variant Streptococci from Human Clinical Specimens". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 39 (3): 290–294. doi:10.1099/00207713-39-3-290. ISSN 1466-5034. 
  4. ↑ Sasaki, Minoru; Kodama, Yoshitoyo; Shimoyama, Yu; Ishikawa, Taichi; Tajika, Shihoko; Kimura, Shigenobu (2020). "Abiotrophia defectiva adhere to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite beads via interactions between salivary proline-rich-proteins and bacterial glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase" (in en). Microbiology and Immunology 64 (11): 719–729. doi:10.1111/1348-0421.12848. ISSN 0385-5600. PMID 32918493. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Seguiti, Cristina; Piacentini, Edda; Fraghì, Angelica; Zappa, Mattia; Croce, Elia; Meloni, Angelo; Cirillo, Marco; Ferrari, Clarissa et al. (2025-05-12). "Abiotrophia defectiva and Granulicatella: A Literature Review on Prosthetic Joint Infection and a Case Report on A. defectiva PJI and Concurrent Native Valve Endocarditis". Microorganisms 13 (5): 1113. doi:10.3390/microorganisms13051113. ISSN 2076-2607. PMID 40431286. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Bhardwaj, Radhika G.; Khalaf, Mai E.; Karched, Maribasappa (2024). "Secretome analysis and virulence assessment in Abiotrophia defectiva". Journal of Oral Microbiology 16 (1). doi:10.1080/20002297.2024.2307067. ISSN 2000-2297. PMID 38352067. 
  7. ↑ Bottone, E J; Thomas, C A; Lindquist, D; Janda, J M (1995). "Difficulties encountered in identification of a nutritionally deficient streptococcus on the basis of its failure to revert to streptococcal morphology". Journal of Clinical Microbiology 33 (4): 1022–1024. doi:10.1128/jcm.33.4.1022-1024.1995. PMID 7790428. 
  8. ↑ Young, Kevin D. (2006). "The Selective Value of Bacterial Shape" (in en). Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews 70 (3): 660–703. doi:10.1128/MMBR.00001-06. ISSN 1092-2172. PMID 16959965. 
  9. ↑ Dumm, Rebekah E.; Wing, Anna; Richterman, Aaron; Jacob, Jerry; Glaser, Laurel J.; Rodino, Kyle G. (2021-09-20). Burnham, Carey-Ann D.. ed. "The Brief Case: A Variant on a Classic—Abiotrophia defectiva Endocarditis with Discitis" (in en). Journal of Clinical Microbiology 59 (10). doi:10.1128/JCM.03093-20. ISSN 0095-1137. PMID 34542326. 
  10. ↑ Ince, A.; Tiemer, B.; Gille, J.; Boos, C.; Russlies, M. (2002-10-01). "Total knee arthroplasty infection due to Abiotrophia defectiva" (in en). Journal of Medical Microbiology 51 (10): 899–902. doi:10.1099/0022-1317-51-10-899. ISSN 0022-2615. PMID 12435072. https://scispace.com/pdf/total-knee-arthroplasty-infection-due-to-abiotrophia-27d3ssb6dh.pdf. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Sinner, Scott W.; Tunkel, Allan R. (2015-01-01), "Viridans Streptococci, Nutritionally Variant Streptococci, Groups C and G Streptococci, and Other Related Organisms" (in en-US), Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases (W.B. Saunders): pp. 2349–2361.e2, doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-4801-3.00204-6, ISBN 978-1-4557-4801-3, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/chapter/edited-volume/abs/pii/B9781455748013002046, retrieved 2026-04-18 
  12. ↑ Puxeddu, Silvia; Virdis, Valeria; Sacco, Daniele; Depau, Mario; Atzei, Alessandro M.; Pisano, Lorella; Di Rosa, Marcello; Vacquer, Stefania et al. (2025-01-17). "A case of stroke as a unique sign of subclinical infective endocarditis by Abiotrophia defectiva: a case report" (in en). International Journal of Emergency Medicine 18 (1): 17. doi:10.1186/s12245-025-00814-6. ISSN 1865-1380. PMID 39833666. 
  13. ↑ Senn, Laurence; Entenza, José M.; Greub, Gilbert; Jaton, Katia; Wenger, Aline; Bille, Jacques; Calandra, Thierry; Prod'hom, Guy (2006-01-20). "Bloodstream and endovascular infections due to Abiotrophia defectiva and Granulicatella species". BMC Infectious Diseases 6. doi:10.1186/1471-2334-6-9. ISSN 1471-2334. PMID 16426445. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Cheng, Dong Tony; Kim, Paul Mercedes; Young, Thomas; Nikolarakos, Dimitrios (2022). "Abiotrophia defectiva bacterial endocarditis complicated by an infective intracranial mycotic aneurysm - The need for aggressive odontogenic source control". Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research 12 (5): 713–715. doi:10.1016/j.jobcr.2022.08.021. ISSN 2212-4268. PMID 36092455. 
  15. ↑ Tattevin, P.; Watt, G.; Revest, M.; Arvieux, C.; Fournier, P. -E. (2015-01-01). "Update on blood culture-negative endocarditis". Médecine et Maladies Infectieuses 45 (1): 1–8. doi:10.1016/j.medmal.2014.11.003. ISSN 0399-077X. PMID 25480453. 
  16. ↑ Wilawer, Małgorzata; Elikowski, Waldemar; Greberski, Krzysztof; Ratajska, Paulina Anna; Welc, Natalia Anna; Lisiecka, Monika Ewa (2023). "Abiotrophia defectiva endocarditis - Diagnostic and therapeutic challenge: Case report". IDCases 34. doi:10.1016/j.idcr.2023.e01906. ISSN 2214-2509. PMID 37867569. 
  17. ↑ Chinnaraj, Harini; Vardhan, Maddina Vinay; Gudibandi, Harsha Vardhan; Kumar, J. S.; Kumarasamy, Subramaniyan; Chinnaraj, Harini; Vardhan, Maddina Vinay; Gudibandi, Harsha Vardhan et al. (2024-11-15). "Abiotrophia defectiva: A Rare Causative Agent of Infective Endocarditis With Severe Complications" (in en). Cureus 16 (11). doi:10.7759/cureus.73715. ISSN 2168-8184. PMID 39687826. 
  18. ↑ Kiernan, Thomas J.; O'Flaherty, Niamh; Gilmore, Ruth; Ho, Emily; Hickey, Mary; Tolan, Michael; Mulcahy, David; Moore, David P. (2008-09-01). "Abiotrophia defectiva endocarditis and associated hemophagocytic syndrome—a first case report and review of the literature" (in English). International Journal of Infectious Diseases 12 (5): 478–482. doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2008.01.014. ISSN 1201-9712. PMID 18539495. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Rudrappa, Mohan; Kokatnur, Laxmi (2017). "Infective Endocarditis Due to Abiotrophia defectiva and Its Feared Complications in an Immunocompetent Person: Rare, But Real". Journal of Global Infectious Diseases 9 (2): 79–81. doi:10.4103/0974-777X.204693. ISSN 0974-777X. PMID 28584461. 
  20. ↑ Ali, Fahiye; Fabre, Jose; Miller, Kyle; Muniz, William; Jackson, Blake (2025). "590: A Case of Abiotrophia Defectiva Bacteremia Leading to Infective Endocarditis" (in en). Critical Care Medicine 53 (1). doi:10.1097/01.ccm.0001101024.82027.6e. ISSN 0090-3493. https://journals.lww.com/10.1097/01.ccm.0001101024.82027.6e. 
  21. ↑ Lehmann, H. E. (1975). "Psychopharmacological treatment of schizophrenia". Schizophrenia Bulletin (13): 27–45. doi:10.1093/schbul/1.13.27. ISSN 0586-7614. PMID 1851. 
  22. ↑ Manderwad, Guru Prasad; Murthy, Somasheila I.; Motukupally, Swapna Reddy (2015). "Postkeratoplasty Keratitis Caused by Abiotrophia defectiva: An Unusual Cause of Graft Infection". Middle East African Journal of Ophthalmology 22 (3): 383–385. doi:10.4103/0974-9233.150631. ISSN 0975-1599. PMID 26180481. 
  23. ↑ Yang, Miaojuan; Lin, Yanxia; Peng, Xin; Wu, Jingsong; Hu, Bo; He, Yitao; Lu, Jian (2023). "Abiotrophia defectiva causing infective endocarditis with brain infarction and subarachnoid hemorrhage: a case report". Frontiers in Medicine 10. doi:10.3389/fmed.2023.1117474. ISSN 2296-858X. PMID 37206473. 
  24. ↑ Puzzolante, Cinzia; Cuomo, Gianluca; Meschiari, Marianna; Bedini, Andrea; Bonazza, Aurora; Venturelli, Claudia; Sarti, Mario; Mussini, Cristina (2019). "Granulicatella adiacens and Abiotrophia defectiva Native Vertebral Osteomyelitis: Three Cases and Literature Review of Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Approach". Case Reports in Infectious Diseases 2019. doi:10.1155/2019/5038563. ISSN 2090-6625. PMID 31198612. 
  25. ↑ Shah, Nikhil; Naidu, Prenilla; Pauly, Robert P. (2016). "Peritoneal Dialysis-Related Peritonitis Due to Abiotrophia defectiva: A Case Report". Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease 3. doi:10.1177/2054358116678206. ISSN 2054-3581. PMID 28270927. 
  26. ↑ Nooh, Anas; Reda, Bashar; Sharaf, Raed M.; Alsubaie, Mohammed; Alzahrani, Faisal F. (2025). "A Rare Cause of Infection Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: Abiotrophia defectiva Linked to Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections". Cureus 17 (3). doi:10.7759/cureus.80460. ISSN 2168-8184. PMID 40225546. 

Wikidata ☰ Q25343611 entry



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