PIGMENT PRODUCTION AND ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY OF STAPHYLOCOCCI: THE DIFFERENTIATION OF PATHOGENS FROM COMMENSALS

SOME PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NEOMYCIN AND KANAMYCIN-RESISTANT STRAINS OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

Five hundred and fifty-two strains of Staphylococcus aureus of hospital origin were resistant to penicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline. Of these, 298 were also resistant to neomycin and kanamycin, and this resistance was related to pigment production on glycerol monoacetate agar, the production of beta-lysin, the absence of fibrinolytic and proteolytic activity, and to phage susceptibility. The use of physiological markers, the inadequacy of phage typing, and the possible reasons for the emergence of neomycin-resistant staphylococci are discussed.

Staphylococcus aureus in commercial laying flocks: incidence and characteristics of strains isolated from chicks, pullets and hens in an integrated commercial enterprise

1. Staphylococcus aureus was able to colonise the surface of chicks as young as 1 d old. 2. The organism was detected in a hatchery particularly in the debris from the hatchers and on the working surfaces at the sexing and vaccination areas. 3. The degree of surface colonisation of chicks and pullets was low during rearing but rose to a maximum at mid-lay (50 weeks) when the organism was readily detectable on almost all hens. 4. Strains of Staphylococcus aureus were characterised by phage-typing and cultural characteristics and found to belong predominantly to poultry phage group B2 of Gibbs et al. (1978a). 5. A detailed description of poultry phage group B2 strains is presented; strains of this type can be considered as a second "live-bird" ecovar when compared with Staph. aureus var. gallinae of Witte et al. (1977).

Competence for transfection in Staphylococcus aureus

Lysogenicity with phage P11 is a requirement for competence in the presence of calcium ions in Staphylococcus aureus 8325N. The wild-type strain 8325N, lysogenic for the phages P11, P12, and P13, is also competent, but strain 8325-4, a nonlysogenic derivative of strain 8325N, as well as strains 8325-4 (P12) and 8325-4 (P13) could not develop competence. Preincubation of strain 8325-4 with culture filtrates from a competent strain can induce competence, but rabbit anti-P11 serum can neutralize the competence factor. Superinfection of competent strain 8325-4 (P11) with phage P11 at high multiplicities increases the transfection frequency. Uptake of deoxyribonucleic acid by competent cells is dependent on calcium ion concentration, pH, and temperature. Inhibition of energy metabolism or protein synthesis before and during incubation with deoxyribonucleic acid affects the binding and uptake. The ability to develop competence during bacterial growth differs between the wild-type strain (8325N) and a nuclease-deficient mutant (8325N nuc). The wild-type strain has a narrow competence maximum in the early exponential growth phase where no extracellular nuclease activity is produced. The nuc strain shows in addition competence maxima later in the exponential growth phase.

Coagulase-negative strains of Staphylococcus pyogenes

The isolation of two coagulase-negative strains of Staphylococcus pyogenes is reported, and their biochemical characteristics are given. The reliability of coagulase tests alone in the identification of Staph. pyogenes is discussed, and the deoxyribonuclease test is recommended as a useful confirmatory test.

Cultural characters of a newly recognized group of hospital staphylococci

Members of a newly recognized group of hospital staphylococci, which are believed to have arisen from 83A staphylococci by lysogenization, differ from them in several cultural characters. Some but not all of these characters appear to be determined by the carriage of phage.