2019 Volume 68 Issue 2 Pages 291-295
In this study, we observed a Gram-positive bacillus from a blood culture, and in a subculture, we found slow-growing colonies on 5% sheep blood agar. Thus, we suspected that these colonies belonged to Nocardia or other related genera. As a result of nucleotide Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, a clinical isolate showed a base matching rate of 99.8% with Gordonia sputi. However, Gordonia jacobaea, Gordonia aichiensis, and Gordonia otitidis also showed high base matching rates from 99.4% to 99.7%. Therefore, we newly designed a PCR primer for the secA1 gene and performed BLAST analysis. The base matching rate for G. sputi was 100%, whereas those for G. jacobaea, G. aichiensis, and G. otitidis were 98.8%, 93.3%, and 92.3%, respectively. Thus, the isolate was identified as G. sputi. Gordonia is rare and it is often misidentified using only an identification kit. Thus, it is difficult to identify it in a general laboratory. Since gene analysis newly classified Gordonia spp., it is therefore an effective method for bacterial identification. BLAST analysis of the secA1 gene was a useful tool for identifying G. sputi.
