Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-12T22:17:35.886Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Utilization of d-tartaric acid by Salmonella paratyphi B and Salmonella java: comparison of anaerobic plate test, lead acetate test and turbidity test

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2009

Ruth M. Barker
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Dundee Medical School, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DDl 9SY, Scotland
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

d-Tartrate dehydrase of Salmonella java is an oxygen-sensitive enzyme active in cultures incubated under the poorly aerated conditions of static culture but not in fully aerated shaken cultures nor on plates incubated aerobically. On plates of d-tartrate minimal agar incubated anaerobically the enzyme or the degradation products of d-tartrate are exported from d-tartrate-positive cells and are available to d-tartrate-negative bacteria. This may give misleading growth results when d-tartrate-positive and d-tartrate-negative strains are tested for growth on the same plate of d-tartrate minimal agar.

The lead-acetate test terminated at 24 h, the 24 h turbidity test and the ability to grow on d-tartrate minimal agar within 48 h differentiated 53 S. paratyphi B strains that were negative in each of the three tests from 76 S. java that were positive in each of the tests. An intermediate group of eight strains utilized d-tartrate in Difco bacto-peptone water to give a positive lead acetate reaction at 2 days, were stimulated to a varying degree by d-tartrate in Oxoid peptone water within the same period of incubation and grew poorly on d-tartrate minimal agar. These latter strains may be deficient in a permease controlling uptake of d-tartrate or export of d-tartrato dehydrase.

Inability to utilize d-tartrate is unlikely to be the single character accountable for the reputed enhanced pathogenicity of S. paraptyphi B when compared with S. java. Indications for the existence of an enzyme, complementary to and mutually exclusive with d-tartrate dehydrase, that has a positive correlation with pathogenicity are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

References

REFERENCES

Akhy, M. T.Brown, C. M. & Old, D. C. (1984). L-Rhamnose utilisation in Salmonella typhimuriutn. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 56, 269274.Google Scholar
Alfredsson, G. A., Barker, Ruth M., Old, D. C. & Duguid, J. P. (1972). Use of tartaric acid isomers and citric acid in the biotyping of Salmonella typhimurium. Journal of Hygiene 70, 651666.Google Scholar
Anderson, E. S., Ward, Linda R., de Saxe, , Maureen, J., Old, D. C., Barker, Ruth & Duguid, J. P. (1978). Correlation of phage type, biotype and source in strains of Salmonella typhimurium. Journal of Hygiene 81, 203217.Google Scholar
Barker, Ruth, Old, D. C. & Sharp, J. C. M. (1980). Phage type/biotype groups of Salmonella typhimurium in Scotland 1974–6: variation during spread of epidemic clones. Journal of Hygiene 84, 116125.Google ScholarPubMed
Brown, H. C., Duncan, J. T. & Henry, T. A. (1924). The fermentation of salts of organic acids as an aid to differentiation of bacterial types. Journal of Hygiene 23, 122.Google Scholar
Davis, B. D. & Mingioli, E. S. (1950). Mutants of Escherichia coli requiring methionine or vitamin B12. Journal of Bacteriology 60, 1728.Google Scholar
Hurlbert, R. E. & Jakoby, W. B. (1965). Tartaric acid metabolism. I. Subunits of L(+)-tartaric acid dehydrase. Journal of Biological Chemistry 240, 27722777.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kauffmann, F. (1969). The Bacteriology of Enterobacteriaceae, 2nd ed.Copenhagen–Munksgaard.Google Scholar
Kristensen, M. & Kauffmann, F. (1937). Bakteriologische und klinische erfahrungen über infektionen mit d-weinsäurevergärenden Paratyphus B-bacillen. Zeilschrift für Hygiene 120 149154.Google Scholar
Old, D. C. & Duguid, J. P. (1970). Selective outgrowth of fimbriato bacteria in static liquid medium. Journal of Bacteriology 103, 447456.Google Scholar