Granulicatella and Abiotrophia species from human clinical specimens.

One hundred one isolates of nutritionally variant streptococci from 97 patients were phenotypically characterized and compared with the type strains of Granulicatella adiacens (formerly Abiotrophia adiacens) (ATCC 49175(T)) Abiotrophia defectiva (ATCC 49176(T)), and Granulicatella elegans (formerly Abiotrophia elegans) (DSM 11693(T)). Of the isolates, 55 and 43 resembled G. adiacens and A. defectiva, respectively, while 3 strains resembled G. elegans. Phenotypic characteristics useful in differentiating between species within the genera Granulicatella and Abiotrophia (G. adiacens, G. elegans, Granulicatella balaenopterae, and A. defectiva) were production of alpha- and beta-galactosidase; production of beta-glucuronidase; hippurate hydrolysis; arginine dihydrolase activity; and acid production from trehalose, sucrose, pullulan, and tagatose. From the reports submitted with the specimens, the clinical diagnosis was endocarditis in 58% of patients and septicemia or bacteremia in 26% of patients.