Corynebacterium propinquum
| Corynebacterium propinquum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Bacillati |
| Phylum: | Actinomycetota |
| Class: | Actinomycetes |
| Order: | Mycobacteriales |
| Family: | Corynebacteriaceae |
| Genus: | Corynebacterium |
| Species: | C. propinquum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Corynebacterium propinquum Riegel P, De Briel D, et al. (1994)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
CDC coryneform group ANF-3 Coyle MB, Lipsky BA, (1990) | |
Corynebacterium propinquum, previously known as CDC group ANF-3, was formally given a species name and described in 1994 by Riegel et al.[1][2][3] It is a Gram-positive, mesophilic, obligately aerobic bacteria.[4] It has a characteristic club-shaped morphology, hence its genus name, as coryneform means "club-shaped".
C. propinquum typically colonizes the oropharyngeal region of the upper respiratory tract of humans and animals. They are normally non-pathogenic and are widely distributed in nature.[4]
The species name, propinquum, comes from the Latin neutral adjective for "near, close". [2]
Taxonomy
Corynebacterium propinquum belongs to a group of nondiphtherial corynebacteria that are nonlipophilic and nonfermentative, sometimes referred to as the C. pseudodiphtheriticum group.[5]
The closest phylogenetic relative of Corynebacterium propinquum is C. pseudodiphtheriticum, and they share the same environmental niche, the oropharynx. The two species are nearly identical, and are commonly differentiated by a single test, the production of urease, where C. propinquum are urease-non-producing and C. pseudodiphtheriticum are urease-producing.[1][6]
Microbiology
Corynebacterium propinquum is highly pleomorphic and occur in varying lengths, and sometimes has slightly wider ends, giving it the "club shaped" appearance, the prominence of which depends on their surrounding conditions.[6]
Colonies are whitish and somewhat dryish, with entire edges, and are 1 to 2 mm in diameter after 24 h of incubation.[6] It can grow in a wide variety of media, including Trypticase soy broth agar, Yeast Malt agar and Columbia agar.[4] Growth in 6.5% NaCl salt has been reported, demonstrating some halophily. Additionally, it can be grown in a mesophilic range of temperatures, from 25 to 37 °C with optimum growth at 37 °C, with no growth reported at 5 °C or 41 °C.[4]
They reduce nitrate and hydrolyze tyrosine but do not hydrolyze urea.[6]
Medical relevance
Corynebacterium propinquum are known to be opportunistic pathogens, mainly affecting immunocompromised patients, however they have also been isolated from normally sterile body sites in immunocompetent patients as well.[7][8][9]
Corynebacterium species can be considered universally susceptible to vancomycin and linezolid agents, however, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms tend to be unknown or varied within the genus.[5] C. propinquum in particular appears to demonstrate a favorable susceptibility profile to ceftriaxone, penicillin, vancomycin, β-lactams and glycopeptides from what has been reported in the antibiotic susceptibility tests performed in case studies and from the profiling of similar non-diphtheriae Corynebacterium species.[7][10][11]
Some isolates of C. propinquum have a gene copy of the virulence factor isocitrate lyase, as well as the transporter gene arsenical-resistance protein ACR3. In addition, the presence of erm(X), cmx, and Sul1 genes has been identified in isolates of C. propinquum showing resistance to macrolides, lincosamides, streptogramins, chloramphenicol, and sulfonamides.[5]
References
- ^ a b Bernard, Kathryn; Pacheco, Ana Luisa; Cunningham, Ian; Gill, Navdeep; Burdz, Tamara; Wiebe, Deborah (2013). "Emendation of the description of the species Corynebacterium propinquum to include strains which produce urease". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 63 (Pt 6): 2146–2154. doi:10.1099/ijs.0.046979-0. ISSN 1466-5034. PMID 23104363.
- ^ a b "Species: Corynebacterium propinquum". lpsn.dsmz.de. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ^ Coyle, M. B.; Lipsky, B. A. (July 1990). "Coryneform bacteria in infectious diseases: clinical and laboratory aspects". Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 3 (3): 227–246. doi:10.1128/CMR.3.3.227. ISSN 0893-8512. PMC 358157. PMID 2116939.
- ^ a b c d "Corynebacterium propinquum Riegel B 77159, B 77159 | Type strain | JCM 12106, DSM 44285, ATCC 51488, CCUG 33048, CIP 103792, LMG 19069 | BacDiveID:3172". bacdive.dsmz.de. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ a b c Mitchell, Brooks I.; Markantonis, John E. (2025-08-20). "An underestimated pathogen: Corynebacterium species". Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 63 (10): e01552–24. doi:10.1128/jcm.01552-24. PMC 12506004. PMID 40833082.
- ^ a b c d Versalovic, James (2011). Manual of clinical microbiology (10th ed.). Washington (D.C.): ASM press. ISBN 978-1-55581-463-2.
- ^ a b Kotula, Rudolf; Kotula, Anna; Cheemarla, Nagarjuna Reddy (2026). "Septic arthritis due to Corynebacterium propinquum: first report of isolation from synovial fluid in a native joint". Asm Case Reports e00138-25. doi:10.1128/asmcr.00138-25.
- ^ Motomura, Kazushi; Masaki, Hironori; Terada, Mayumi; Onizuka, Tomoko; Shimogama, Seiji; Furumoto, Akitsugu; Asoh, Norichika; Watanabe, Kiwao; Oishi, Kazunori; Nagatake, Tsuyoshi (2004). "Three Adult Cases with Corynebacterium propinquum Respiratory Infections in a Community Hospital". Journal of the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. 78 (3): 277–282. doi:10.11150/kansenshogakuzasshi1970.78.277. PMID 15103912.
- ^ Jangda, Umair; Upadhyay, Ankit; Bagheri, Farshad; Patel, Nilesh R.; Mendelson, Robert I. (2016). "Corynebacterium propinquum : A Rare Cause of Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis". Case Reports in Medicine. 2016: 1–3. doi:10.1155/2016/1391789. ISSN 1687-9627. PMC 5116497. PMID 27891149.
- ^ Khodadadi, Ryan B.; El Zein, Said; Rivera (o'Connor), Christina G.; Stevens, Ryan W.; Schuetz, Audrey N.; Abu Saleh, Omar M.; Fida, Madiha (2024). "Retrospective analysis of antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of non-diphtheriae Corynebacterium species from a tertiary hospital and reference laboratory, 2012–2023". Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 62 (12) e01199-24. doi:10.1128/jcm.01199-24. PMC 11633113. PMID 39555924. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ^ Kawasaki, Yu; Matsubara, Kousaku; Ishihara, Haruko; Nigami, Hiroyuki; Iwata, Aya; Kawaguchi, Koji; Fukaya, Takashi; Kawamura, Yoshiaki; Kikuchi, Ken (2014-05-01). "Corynebacterium propinquum as the first cause of infective endocarditis in childhood". Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy. 20 (5): 317–319. doi:10.1016/j.jiac.2013.10.013. ISSN 1341-321X. PMID 24486166.