The Rickettsia-like Organisms TATLOCK (1943) and HEBA (1959): Bacteria Phenotypically Similar to but Genetically Distinct from Legionella pneumophila and the WIGA Bacterium

Abstract

Two rickettsia-like organisms, TATLOCK and HEBA, isolated from human blood via guinea pigs and embryonated [hen] eggs in 1943 and 1959, respectively, were cultured on artificial media (charcoal yeast extract agar) for the first time and characterized. TATLOCK and HEBA have identical cultural, biochemical and antigenic characteristics and identical cellular fatty-acid composition and antimicrobial susceptibilities. These 2 bacteria have most of the cultural and biochemical characteristics of L. pneumophila and their GLC cellular fatty-acid profile is similar to that of WIGA, another bacterium similar to L. pneumophila. Direct fluorescent-antibody reagents prepared for HEBA and TATLOCK gave equal high-titered reciprocal staining and were negative on 220 other bacteria including L. pneumophila. DRA relatedness studies showed that these bacteria are not genetically related to L. pneumophila or the WIGA bacterium.