TAXONOMIC ANALYSIS OF NONPIGMENTED, RAPIDLY GROWING MYCOBACTERIA

Abstract

The properties of 43 strains subjected to taxonomic analysis were acid production from carbohydrates and the utilization of organic acids as sole carbon sources, which totaled 25 individual tests. The different characteristics were handled according to simple mathematical methods, the existence of a continuous metabolic spectrum among the strains was noted. According to the over-all values obtained, it was possible to characterize three main groups of strains. The only well-defined species identified was Mycobacterium fortuitum. Other strains bear poor relationship with that species, so they were regarded as different taxonomic entities. A practical schema for the separation of the different groups in included.