10.18 Flashcards
urea is a product of
decarboxylation of certain amino acids
urease
urea can be hydrolyzed to ammonia and CO2 by bacteria containing the enzyme urease. urea hydrolysis provides N in a usable form
rapid urease+ bacteria
proteus, morganella morganii, some providencia stuartii strains
- h. pylori
urea agar
Urea Agar was formulated to differentiate rapid
urease-positive bacteria from slower urease-positive
and urease-negative bacteria. It contains urea, peptone,
potassium phosphate, glucose, and phenol red. Peptone
and glucose provide essential nutrients for a broad range
of bacteria. Potassium phosphate is a mild buffer used to
resist alkalinization of the medium from peptone metabolism.
phenol red colors
- yellow or orange below pH
8. 4 and red or pink above - <6.8: yellow
- 6.8 to 7.4: red
- > 7.4: pink to magenta
urea broth
Urea broth differs from urea agar in two important
ways. First, its only nutrient source is a trace (0.0001%)
of yeast extract. Second, it contains buffers strong enough
to inhibit alkalinization of the medium by all but the
rapid urease-positive organisms mentioned above.
urea broth test results
- pink – rapid urea hydrolysis, strong urease production
- orange/yellow – no urea hydrolysis; organism doesn’t produce urease or can’t live in broth
urea agar test results
- rapid urea hydrolysis and strong urease production: all pink within 24h, gelatinase present within 6 days
- slow, weak (w+): partially pink or orange/yellow within 24h, all/partially pink w/in 6 days
- orange or yellow in 6 days: no urea hydrolysis, urea absent
nitrate reduction test application
many g- bacteria, includig most enterobacteriaceae, contain nitrate reductase.
- differentates them from g- rods that either dont reduce nitrate or reduce it beyond nitrite to N2 or other ocmpounds
preparation of phenol red broth
- pH adjusted to 7.3 so appears red
- inverted durham tube added to each tube as an indicator of gas production
carb fermentation
- organic molecule acts as an e- donor (becoming oxidized in the process) and 1 or more of its organic products act as the final e- acceptor
- this term is used rather broadly to include hydrolysis of disaccharides prior to the fermentation
reaction
PR broth application
used to differentiate members of Entero -
bacteriaceae and to distinguish them from other Gramnegative
rods. also used to distinuish btwn g+ fermenters, such as streptococcus and lactobacillus species
PR broth: acid production, __, gas production
- acid: lowers pH and turns medium yellow
- deamination of peptone AAs produces NH3, which turns broth pink
- gas: bubble/pocket in tube where broth has been displaced
PR broth restuls
- A/G: yellow broth w/ bubble – fermentation w/ acid, gas end products
- A/–: yellow w/o bubble – fermentation w/ acid but no gas end products
- –/–: red w/o bubble – no fermentation
- K: pink w/o bubble – degradation of peptone; alkaline end products
denitrification
nitrate to N2
nitrate reductase
single step reduction of nitrate to nitrite
anaerobic respiration involves
the reduction of an inorganic molecule other than oxygen. nitrate reduction is an example
nitrate broth
undefined medium of beef extract, peptone, K nitrate. inverted durham tube is placed in each broth to trap a portion of any gas produced. no color indicators
before a broth can be tested for nitrate reductase activity,
it must be examined
for evidence of denitrification. This is simply a visual
inspection for the presence of gas in the Durham tube
(Figure 5-25). If the Durham tube contains gas and the
organism is known not to be a fermenter (as evidenced by
a fermentation test), the test is complete. De nitrifica tion
has taken place. Gas produced in a nitrate reduction test
by an organism capable of fermenting is not deter mina -
tive because the source of the gas is unknow
If there is no visual evidence of denitrification,
sulfanilic acid (nitrate reagent A) and alpha-naphthylamine
(nitrate reagent B) are added to the medium to test for
nitrate reduction to nitrite. If present, nitrite will form
nitrous acid (HNO2) in the aqueous medium. Nitrous acid
reacts with the added reagents to produce a red, watersoluble
compound
nitrate reductase: Zn
to catalyze the reduction of
any nitrate (which still may be present as KNO3) to
nitrite. If nitrate is present at the time zinc is added, it
will be converted immediately to nitrite, and the above-
described reaction between nitrous acid and reagents
will follow and turn the medium red. In this instance,
the red color indicates that nitrate was not reduced by
the organism (Figure 5-27). No color change after the
addition of zinc indicates that the organism reduced the
nitrate to NH3, NO, N2O, or some other nongaseous
nitrogenous compound.
nitrate test results: gas
- nonfermenter: Denitrification—production of n2
(NO3 > NO2 > N2) (+) - Fermenter, or status is unknown: Source of gas is unknown; requires addition of reagents
nitrate test results: reagents
- red: nitrate reduction to nitrite (+)
- no color: Incomplete test; requires the addition of zinc dust
nitrate test results: zn
- no color: Nitrate reduction to nongaseous nitrogenous compounds) (NO3 > NO2 > nongaseous nitrogenous products) (+)
- red: no nitrate reduction (-)
MR-VP broth
Methyl Red and Voges-Proskauer (MR-VP) Broth is a
combination medium used for both Methyl Red (MR)
and Voges-Proskauer (VP) tests. It is a simple solution
containing only peptone, glucose, and a phosphate buffer.
The peptone and glucose provide protein and ferment able
carbohydrate, respectively, and the potassium phosphate
resists pH changes in the medium.
MR test
The MR test is designed to detect organisms capable
of performing a mixed acid fermentation, which overcomes
the phosphate buffer in the medium and lowers
the pH (Figure 5-8 and Figure 5-9). The acids produced
by these organisms tend to be stable, whereas acids
produced by other organisms tend to be unstable and
subsequently are converted to more neutral products.
Mixed acid fermentation is verified by the addition
of methyl red indicator dye following incubation.
MRVP test application
The Methyl Red and Voges-Proskauer tests are components
of the IMViC battery of tests (Indole, Methyl red,
Voges-Proskauer, and Citrate) used to distinguish between
members of the family Entero bacteriaceae and
differentiate them from other Gram-negative rods.
methyl red color
red at pH 4.4 and yellow at pH 6.2. Between these
two pH values, it is various shades of orange. Red color
is the only true indication of a positive result. Orange is
negative or inconclusive. Yellow is negative
MR test results
- red: mixed acid fermentation (+)
- no color change: no mixed acid ferm (-)
VP test
The Voges-Proskauer test was designed for organisms
that are able to ferment glucose, but quickly convert
their acid products to acetoin and 2,3-butanediol. Adding VP reagents to the
medium oxidizes the acetoin to diacetyl, which in turn
reacts with guanidine nuclei from peptone to produce a
red color. A positive VP result, therefore, is
red.