抄録
M. lepraemurium Hawaii was grown on the modified Ogawa's yolk medium at 32-37C but was not at 45C. Colonies were rough and creamy white. Pigment prodution in dark and pigmentation after exposure to light were not observed.
Amidase tests were performed with 12 substrates; acetamide, benzamide, urea, isonicotinamide, nicotinamide, pyr azinamide, salicylamide, allantoin, succinamide, malonamide, n-capramide and n-caprylamide. Amidase activities of nicotinamide, pyrazinamide, n-capramide and n-caprylamide were observed in M. lepraemrium, but those of the other eight substrates were not detected (Table. 1).
In vivo bacilli of M. lepraemurium Hawaii grown in C3H mouse and in vitro bacilli of M. avium, M. intracellulare and M. xenopi grown on Ogawa's egg medium had the same amidase activities as that of in vitro M. lepraemurium Hawaii (Table. 1 and 2).
Niacin test (-), catalase activity (+), heat stable catalase (-), nitrate reduction (-), heat stable phosphatase (-), Tween 80 hydrolysis (-), arylsulfatase (-), diamine oxidase (-) and insusceptibility to ethambutol (5 μg/ml) were mostly the same as the reports of Ogawa or Koseki.
From the facts described above, we may conclude that M. lepraemurium has the most similar characterisitics to M. avium and that the heat stable catalase activity and multiplicity at 45C can be used to differentiate among M. lepraemurium and M. avium.
