RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 JURTSHUK, PETER A1 LIU, JONG-KANGYR 1983 T1 Cytochrome Oxidase Analyses of Bacillus Strains: Existence of Oxidase-Positive Species JF International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, VO 33 IS 4 SP 887 OP 891 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/00207713-33-4-887 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1466-5034, AB Analyses of 173 Bacillus strains (representing 30 species) with a newly developed quantitative colorimetric N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine oxidase assay revealed the presence of many oxidase-positive species. Of 144 mesophilic strains analyzed, the following were oxidase positive: 16 of 16 Bacillus alvei strains, 7 of 9 Bacillus laterosporus strains, 5 of 10 Bacillus circulans strains, 4 of 5 Bacillus macerans strains, 2 of 5 Bacillus firmus strains, 1 strain of Bacillus sphaericus, and 1 strain of Bacillus brevis. The thermophilic organisms Bacillus stearothermophilus T-10 and ATCC 8005, “Bacillus caldotenax” (one strain), and “Bacillus thermodenitrificans” DSM 465 were also oxidase positive. In fact, when the oxidase-positive thermophilic strains were grown at 65°C, they exhibited very high oxidation rates; most of these rates were equivalent to the high rates of reaction recorded for strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Neisseria spp. Most mesophilic Bacillus strains and all of the psychrophiles examined were oxidase negative or oxidase indeterminate (the latter had oxidase rates equilavent to the rates in the N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine autooxidation reaction). Spectral absorbance analyses on membranes of oxidase-positive B. alvei strain 385 revealed the presence of a type c cytochrome with cytochrome oxidases o and a+a 3, Bacillus pumilus strains which could not oxidize N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine lacked type c cytochromes but possessed these two oxidases. The paper strip Kovacs oxidase test with Marion reagent could be routinely used for detecting oxidase-positive Bacillus strains. A distinct class of oxidase-positive strains should be identified, which might eventually be useful for identification studies., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/00207713-33-4-887