Abstract
Three strains of Staphylococcus aureus indicating diffuse growth in serum-soft agar and three strains of S. aureus growing as compact colonies were grown on cellulose-acetate membranes laid on trypticase soy and modified 110 agar plates. The production of capsule material on the membrane filters was detected by staining with ruthenium-red. The intensity and color indexes of the reflected light was analysed using a chroma detector interfaced to a minicomputer.
The intensity of the reflected light and the red color index showed marked differences between the diffuse and compact staphylococci, indicating that the staining method is useful for studying bacterial capsule or slime formation. Treatment with egg-white lysozyme destroyed some slime layers of the compact colony-forming staphylococci whereas the diffuse colony-forming bacteria remained intact on the membranes. The technique is of special value in studying the means to destroy capsular material as well as in comparing different microbes within individual species with respect to their formation of capsular material or slime.
The intensity of the reflected light and the red color index showed marked differences between the diffuse and compact staphylococci, indicating that the staining method is useful for studying bacterial capsule or slime formation. Treatment with egg-white lysozyme destroyed some slime layers of the compact colony-forming staphylococci whereas the diffuse colony-forming bacteria remained intact on the membranes. The technique is of special value in studying the means to destroy capsular material as well as in comparing different microbes within individual species with respect to their formation of capsular material or slime.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 323-331 |
| Journal | Journal of Microbiological Methods |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1989 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |