title: Additional tests to differentiate Arcanobacterium haemolyticum and Actinomyces pyogenes.
abstract: A commercially available biochemical test panel, commercially available diagnostic tablets and gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) of cellular fatty acids were used to find out whether Arcanobacterium haemolyticum and Actinomyces pyogenes could be further differentiated from each other. Xylitol and alpha-methyl-D-glucoside fermentation, Voges-Proskauer reaction and tributyrate hydrolysis were found to be useful additional tests which differentiated Arc. haemolyticum and A. pyogenes. GLC analysis revealed major differences in the cellular 16:0, 18:2(9,12) and 18:1(9) fatty acid composition of the two species. Especially the Voges-Proskauer test available as diagnostic tablets can be easily performed in clinical microbiology laboratories, in addition to the tests now used to differentiate Arc. haemolyticum from A. pyogenes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Aurora Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eerola
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kontiainen
mesh_terms: D000093:Acetoin / Q000032:analysis; D000191:Actinomycetaceae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005285:Fermentation; D006093:Gram-Positive Asporogenous Rods / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification* / Q000378:metabolism; D008757:Methylglucosides / Q000378:metabolism; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D014993:Xylitol / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008757:Methylglucosides; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; C027020:methylglucoside; D000093:Acetoin; D014993:Xylitol