ARYLSULFATASE ACTIVITY OF ACID-FAST BACILLI .3. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF RAPIDLY GROWING ACID-FAST BACILLI

Abstract

The arylsulfatase activity of 42 rapidly growing acid-fast bacilli was checked daily for a period of five days at two different substrate concentrations. It has been shown that strains of Mycobacterium foruitum may be distinguished from rap-idly growing saprophytes and, in some cases, from unclassified Group IV rapid growers on the basis of their enzymatic activity following two or three days'' incubation in the presence of substrate.