Sunday, July 12, 2009

Are the genuses in the bacteria Bacillus or Mycobacterium postive or negative in the Oxidase test?

I am studying 6 bacteria and need to know if they stain +/- in the oxidase (cytochrome c) test. The bacteria are: Bacillus brevis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis, Mycobacterium smegmatis, and Mycobacterium phlei.

Are the genuses in the bacteria Bacillus or Mycobacterium postive or negative in the Oxidase test?
These are all aerobic Gram-Positive Bacilli: Pertinent characteristics: rod-like; catalase negative or positive; some are acid-fast stain positive and some have branching; only Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Brevibacterium, and Paenibacillus species produce spores.
Reply:Typically in the identification of Mycobacterium spp. and Bacillus spp. the oxidase test is not utilized. Most textbooks of clinical/diagnostic microbiology do not include cytochrome oxidase in the identification schemes for either genus. However, a Google Scholar search may turn up some primary research or review articles that could help answer this question.


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