Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Rapid distinction between micrococci and staphylococci with furazolidone agars

  • Medical Microbiology
  • Published:
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Furazolidone agar proved to be a suitable medium for separating strains of the genera Micrococcus and Staphylococcus. 720 isolates (including 24 type strains) of gram- and catalase-positive cocci were tested for growth on tryptone soya and peptone agar with the addition of 50 μg/ml furazolidone. The results were compared with the classification obtained by the standard-O/F-test and by the test system of Schleifer and Kloos.

For routine identification and separation of staphylococci from micrococci a peptone agar with 20 μg furazolidone/ml is recommended.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Auletta, A. E. and Kennedy, E. R. 1966. Deoxyribonucleic acid base composition of some members of the Micrococcaceae. — J. Bacteriol. 92: 28–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baird-Parker, A. C. 1974. The basis for the present classification of staphylococci and micrococci. — Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 236: 7–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bergey's Manual of determinative bacteriology. 1974. 8th ed. — The Williams and Wilkins Company, Baltimore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohacek, J., Kocur, M. and Martinec, T. 1967. DNA base composition and taxonomy of some micrococci. — J. Gen. Microbiol. 46: 369–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohacek, J., Kocur, M. and Martinec, T. 1969. Deoxyribonucleic acid base composition of Micrococcus roseus. — Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 35: 185–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Curry, J. C. and Borovian, G. E. 1976. Selective medium for distinguishing micrococci from staphylococci in the clinical laboratory. — J. Clin. Microbiol. 4: 455–457.

    Google Scholar 

  • Devriese, L. A., Hajek, V., Oeding, P., Meyer, S. A. and Schleifer, K. H. 1978. Staphylococcus hyicus (Sompolinski 1953) comb. nov. and Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. chromogenes subsp. nov. — Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 28: 482–490.

    Google Scholar 

  • Devriese, L. A. and Van de Kerckhove, A. 1980. Carbohydrate dissimilation tests in the identification of staphylococci. — Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 46: 65–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Digranes, A. and Oeding, P. 1975. Characterization of Micrococcaceae from the urinary tract. —Acta Pathol. Microbiol. Sand. B 83: 373–381.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, J. B. and Pate, C. A. 1980. Method for determining anaerobic fermentation of mannitol by staphylococci. — Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 30: 557–558.

    Google Scholar 

  • Faller, A. H., Gōtz, F. and Schleifer, K. H. 1980. Cytochrome-patterns of staphylococci and micrococci and their taxonomic implications. — Zentralbl. Bakteriol. Parasitenkd. Infektionskrankh. Hyg., Abt. 1: Orig. C 1: 26–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hajek, V. 1976. Staphylococcus intermedius, a new species isolated from animals. — Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 26: 401–408.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeffries, L. 1969. Menaquinones in the classification of Micrococcaceae with observations on the application of lysozyme and novobiocin sentivity tests. — Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 69: 183–187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeffries, L., Cawthorne, M. A., Harris, M., Cook, B. and Diplock, A. T. 1969. Menaquinone determination in the taxonomy of Micrococcaceae. — J. Gen. Microbiol. 54: 365–380.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeffries, L., Cawthorne, M. A., Harris, M., Diplock, A. T., Green, J. and Price, S. A. 1967. Menaquinone patterns of Micrococcaceae; their possible taxonomic significance. — Spisy Prir. Fak. Univ. Brno K 40: 230–235.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kloos, W. E. and Schleifer, K. H. 1975. Isolation and characterization of staphylococci from human skin. II. Descriptions of four new species: Staphylococcus warneri, Staphylococcus capitis, Staphylococcus hominis and Staphylococcus simulans. — Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 25: 62–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kloos, W. E., Schleifer, K. H. and Smith, R. F. 1976. Characterization of Staphylococcus sciuri sp. nov. and its subspecies. — Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 26: 22–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kloos, W. E., Tornabene, T. G. and Schleifer, K. H. 1974. Isolation and characterization of micrococci from human skin, including two new species: Micrococcus lylae and Micrococcus kristinae. — Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 24: 79–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kocur, M., Bergan, T. and Mortensen, N. 1971. DNA base composition of gram-positive cocci. —J. Gen. Microbiol. 69: 167–183.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kocur, M. and Mortensen, N. 1967. Comparison of methods for estimation of anaerobic production of acid from glucose and mannitol in staphylococci and micrococci. — Acta Pathol. Microbiol. Scand. 71: 141–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kocur, M., Schleifer, K. H. and Kloos, W. E. 1975. Taxonomic status of Micrococcus nishinomiyaensis Oda 1935. — Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 25: 290–293.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lachica, R. V. F., Hoeprich, P. D. and Genigeorgis, C. 1971. Nuclease production and lysostaphin susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus and other catalase-positive cocci. — Appl. Microbiol. 21: 823–826.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, S. A. and Schleifer, K. H. 1975. Rapid procedure for the approximate determination of the deoxyribonucleic acid base composition of micrococci, staphylococci and other bacteria. — Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 25: 383–385.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrison, S. J., Tornabene, T. G. and Kloos, W. E. 1971. Neutral lipids in the study of relationships of members of the family Micrococcaceae. — J. Bacteriol. 108: 353–358.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mossel, D. A. A. 1962. Attempt in classification of catalase-positive staphylococci and micrococci. — J. Bacteriol. 84: 1140–1147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Onishi, H. and Kamekura, M. 1972 Micrococcus halobius sp. n. — Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 22: 233–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paul, H. E. and Paul, M. F. 1964. The nitrofurans-chemotherapeutic properties. p. 307–370. In R. J. Schnitzer and F. Hawking (eds), Experimental chemotherapy. Vol. II, Part I. — Acad. Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schleifer, K. H. 1973. Chemical composition of staphylococcal cell walls. p. 13–23. In: Contributions to microbiology and immunology. Vol. 1. — S. Karger, Basel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schleifer, K. H. and Kandler, O. 1972. Peptidoglycan types of bacterial cell walls and their taxonomic implications. — Bacteriol. Rev. 36: 407–477.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schleifer, K. H. and Kloos, W. E. 1975a. A simple test system for the separation of staphylococci from micrococci. — J. Clin. Microbiol. 1: 337–338.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schleifer, K. H. and Kloos, W. E. 1975b. Isolation and characterization of staphylococci from human skin. I. Amended descriptions of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus saprophyticus and descriptions of three new species: Staphylococcus cohnii, Staphylococcus haemolyticus and Staphylococcus xylosus. — Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 25: 50–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schleifer, K. H. and Kloos, W. E. 1976. Separation of staphylococci from micrococci. —Zentralbl. Bakteriol. Parasitenkd. Infektionskr. Hyg., Abt. 1, Suppl 5.

  • Schleifer, K. H. and Kocur, M. 1973. Classification of staphylococci based on the chemical and biochemical properties. — Arch. Mikrobiol. 93: 65–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seidl, P. H. and Schleifer, K. H. 1978. Rapid test for the serological separation of staphylococci from micrococci. — Appl. Microbiol. 35: 479–482.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silvestri, L. G. and Hill, L. R. 1965. Agreement between deoxyribonucleic acid base composition and taxonomic classification of gram-positive cocci. — J. Bacteriol. 90: 136–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, R. F. 1969. A medium for the study of the ecology of human cutaneous diphtheroids. — J. Gen. Microbiol. 57: 411–417.

    Google Scholar 

  • Subcommittee on Taxonomy of Staphylococci and Micrococci 1965; Recommendations. — Int. Bull. Bacteriol. Nomencl. Taxon. 15: 109–110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Subcommittee on Taxonomy of Staphylococci and Micrococci 1971; Minutes of meeting. — Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 21: 161–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Subcommittee on Taxonomy of Staphylococci and Micrococci 1975; Minutes of meeting. — Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 25: 236–237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Subcommittee on Taxonomy of Staphylococci and Micrococci 1976; Minutes of meeting 1975. —Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol 26: 332–333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tornabene, T. G., Morrison, S. J. and Kloos, W. E. 1970. Aliphatic hydrocarbon contents of various members of the family Micrococcaceae. — Lipids 5: 929–937.

    Google Scholar 

  • Von Rheinbaben, K. 1978. Isolierung und Gattungsdifferenzierung von aus Fleischerzeugnissen stammenden Mikroorganismen der Familie Micrococcaceae unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Gattung Micrococcus. — Oec. Troph. Diss. Giessen.

  • Von Rheinbaben, K. 1980. Mikroflora, insbesondere Familie Micrococcaceae, in Fleischsalaten. —Fleischwirtschaft 60: 725–727.

    Google Scholar 

  • Von Rheinbaben, K. und Hadlok, R. 1979a. Gattungsdifferenzierung von Mikroorganismen der Familie Micrococcaceae aus Rohwürsten. — Fleischwirtschaft 59: 1321–1324.

    Google Scholar 

  • Von Rheinbaben, K. und Hadlok, R. 1979b. Mikroflora, insbesondere Familie Micrococcaceae, in Brüh- und Kochwürsten. — Fleischwirtschaft 59: 1874–1879.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Veterinary Food Science, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Frankfurterstr. 92, D-6300, Giessen, Federal Republic of Germany

    K. E. von Rheinbaben & R. M. Hadlok

Authors
  1. K. E. von Rheinbaben
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. M. Hadlok
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

von Rheinbaben, K.E., Hadlok, R.M. Rapid distinction between micrococci and staphylococci with furazolidone agars. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 47, 41–51 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00399065

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00399065

Keywords

Search

Navigation