Eighteen strains of coli group possessing the tyrosine-decomposing ferment were isolated from the feces of Ekiri patients, from which no dysentery bacillus was recovered. Biochemical and immunological studies were carried out on these strains. The results were as follows.
1) The organisms were identified as E. coli (16 strains), Citrobacter (1 strain) and Klebsiella (1 strain).
2) These strains were classified after Kauffmann's schema; two strains of O-1 and one strain of O-17, O-22, O-25, O-26, O-106, O-118, O-122 and O-127, respectively. The remaining 3 strains could not be identified.
3) There were 14 strains with the Invic reactions typical for E. coli, the others being atypical ones. One strain proved to be an indol-negative and another a KCN-positive variant, though these two belonged immunologically to the same type, E. coli O-1. There were besides a lactose-negative (E. coli O-21) and an anerogenic variant (E. coli O-2).
4) These organisms were tested on the activity of decarboxylases of arginin, lysine, histidine, ornitine, tyrosine and glutamic acid. The ferments decompsing glutamic acid, lysine and arginin were found in 95.5%, 90.9% and 81.4%, respectively. There were relatively few strains demonstrating decarboxylases of histidine, tyrosine and ornitine.
5) There were only 3 strains with all 6 ferments, whereas decarboxylases of arginine, lysine and histidine were found in almost all strains (15/16).
6) Different colonies of a strain were tested on the activity of these ferments, which sometimes fluctuated to some extent.
7) A strain of E. coli which showed a wide range of decarboxylase activity produced. an amine-like substance in the bouillon culture. This substance was studied by the paperchromatography. The Rf value of this substance was similar to those of histidine, cataverine as well as putrescine, only it showed a higher toxicity to mice than toxic amines.
View full abstract