title: A degrading proteinase test to distinguish benign and virulent ovine isolates of Bacteroides nodosus.
abstract: Bacteroides nodosus was recovered from naturally occurring cases of virulent ovine footrot (VFR) and benign footrot (BFR) using an artificial culture medium which incorporated trypticase, arginine, serine and 5% agar. A degrading proteinase (DP) test was developed which measured the proteinase activity of broth cultures of B. nodosus for a period of time after organism death to assess the stability of the enzyme. The spectrophotometric measurement of the release of dye from a hide powder--azure conjugate by the action of proteinase provided an objective analysis of enzyme activity. The DP test differentiated VFR and BFR isolates and promises to be a useful laboratory method for the diagnosis of benign and virulent footrot in sheep.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005535:Foot Rot / Q000382:microbiology*; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D010447:Peptide Hydrolases