Lab Exam 2: Ex 5-4; 5-5; 5-7; 5-8; 5-9; 5-11; 5-12; 6-1; 9-5 Flashcards
What does the catalase test detect?
an organismal ability to produce catalase - an enzyme that detoxifies the cell by converting hydrogen peroxide produced in the ETC to H2O and O2 (shows bubbles).
What does the catalase test prove?
Organisms thriving in an oxygen rich environment have evolved different mechanisms to deal with oxygen radicals.
flavoprotein
an ETC carrier molecule that can bypass the next carrier in the chain and transfer electrons directly to oxygen, which produces hydrogen peroxide.
hydrogen peroxide
a highly potent cellular toxin
Why is hydrogen peroxide toxic?
it oxidizes biochemicals and makes them nonfunctional
How do organisms counteract the hydrogen peroxide they produce?
they also produce enzymes capable of breaking hydrogen peroxide down.
catalase
an enzyme that converts hydrogen peroxide into water and gaseous oxygen.
How are bacteria that produce catalase detected?
Bacteria that produce catalase are easily detected using typical store grade hydrogen peroxide. When it is added to a catalase-positive culture, oxygen gas bubbles form immediately. (if no bubbles appear then the organism is catalase-negative)
What microbes were used in the catalase test lab and what were the results?
Lactococcus lactis - no bubbles, catalase negative
Staphylococcus epidermidis - bubbles, catalase positive
What is the oxidase test designed for?
to identify microorganisms that contain a carrier molecule called cytochrome c oxidase which is used by cells to transfer electrons to oxygen (ETC)
How can microorganisms containing cytochrome c oxidase be identified?
they can be identified by using chromogenic reducing agents which change color upon becoming oxidized.
What is the name of the chromogenic reducing agent?
tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine
How does the oxidase test work?
The reducing reagent is added directly to bacterial growth on solid media. a color change occurs within seconds if the reducing agent becomes oxidized, thus indicating that cytochrome c oxidase is present.
What color result is seen if the oxidase test is positive?
dark blue/purple
What microbes did we use in the oxidase test and what were the results?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa - purple, oxidase positive
Escherichia coli - no color change, oxidase negative
What is the Citrate Utilization Test designed to do?
It is designed to differentiate members of the Enterobacteriaceae, all of which are facultative anaerobes.
What does it mean if a bacteria is facultative anaerobic?
they have the ability to ferment carbohydrates and also the ability to aerobically respire, which means they have a functional citric acid cycle.
What does the Citrate Utilization Test tell us about an organism?
the ability of organisms to use citrate as their sole carbon source and perform citrate fermentation.
What is citrate?
an intermediate product of the Krebs cycle
What kind of medium is Simmons citrate agar?
a defined medium - the amount and source of all ingredients are carefully controlled.
What is the carbon source in Simmons citrate agar? What does it do?
sodium citrate - provides the means for bacterial species that possess the enzyme citrate permease to transport citrate into the cell and perform citrate fermentation. (cells convert citrate into pyruvate which can then be converted into a variety of products.)
What dye is used in the Citrate Utilization test and what does it do?
Bromothymol blue - pH indicator which can change from green to blue as the pH becomes more alkaline due to metabolic product production (ammonia, ammonium hydroxide, etc.)
What microbes did we use in the Citrate Utilization Test and what were the results?
Enterobacter aerogenes - blue growth, citrate positive
Escherichia coli - no growth (green agar), citrate negative
What is another name for the Decarboxylase Test?
Amino Acid Decarboxylation