THE ACTION OF B. DIPHTHERIAE AND SOME RELATED ORGANISMS ON GLUCOSAMINE

Abstract

Experiments with peptone water and Hiss serum water containing glucosamine were carried out with 3 virulent cultures of Corynebacterium diphtheriae and non-virulent strains fermenting glucose and dextrin, 2 strains of C. hofmanni and C. xerosis, and 5 strains of organisms resembling C. diphtheriae but which produced local, non-specific, superficial skin necrosis in guinea pigs, not prevented by diphtheria antitoxin. These organisms varied in their action on glucosamine, but in the most favorable medium (toxin broth and Hiss serum water fortified by 1 % peptone) 2 of the 3 virulent diphtheria bacilli produced acid; none of the others did so. The authors conclude that there is no correlation between fermentation of glucosamine and ability of these organisms to produce diphtheria toxin.