HYDROGEN SULFIDE PRODUCTION BY STREPTOMYCES AS A CRITERION FOR SPECIES DIFFERENTIATION

Abstract

A survey was made of H2S production by more than 900 strains of Streptomyces belonging to one or another of 103 described species or varieties; this survey attempted to evaluate this physiological phenomenon as a criterion for species differentiation. When tested on a peptone-iron agar medium, the H2S reactions among several species were remarkably uniform. For example, 97% of 134 strains of S. aureofaciens, 98% of 228 strains of S. hygroscopicus and all of 50 strains of S. griseus were negative; 95% of 39 strains of S. bikiniensis and 99% of 112 strains of S. lavendulae were positive. Furthermore, 7 other species having 12 or more strains each, were 100% constant in their response to this test. S. netropsis displayed an anomalous H2S pattern, perhaps because understanding of species confines in this organism is inadequate.