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Clinical Microbiology Reviews, April 1998, p. 318-340, Vol. 11, No. 2
0893-8512/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Use of Enzyme Tests in Characterization and Identification of Aerobic and Facultatively Anaerobic Gram-Positive Cocci

Shoshana Bascomb1 and Mammad Manafi2,*

31 Bramble Walk, Lymington SO41 9LW, United Kingdom,1 and Hygiene Institute, University of Vienna, A-1095 Vienna, Austria2

The contribution of enzyme tests to the accurate and rapid routine identification of gram-positive cocci is introduced. The current taxonomy of the genera of aerobic and facultatively anaerobic cocci based on genotypic and phenotypic characterization is reviewed. The clinical and economic importance of members of these taxa is briefly summarized. Tables summarizing test schemes and kits available for the identification of staphylococci, enterococci, and streptococci on the basis of general requirements, number of tests, number of taxa, test classes, and completion times are discussed. Enzyme tests included in each scheme are compared on the basis of their synthetic moiety. The current understanding of the activity of enzymes important for classification and identification of the major groups, methods of testing, and relevance to the ease and speed of identification are reviewed. Publications describing the use of different identification kits are listed, and overall identification successes and problems are discussed. The relationships between the results of conventional biochemical and rapid enzyme tests are described and considered. The use of synthetic substrates for the detection of glycosidases and peptidases is reviewed, and the advantages of fluorogenic synthetic moieties are discussed. The relevance of enzyme tests to accurate and meaningful rapid routine identification is discussed.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Food- and Waterhygiene, Hygiene Institute, University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, A-1095 Vienna, Austria. Phone: 43-1-40490-250. Fax: 43-1-40490-295. E-mail: Mohammad.manafi{at}univie.ac.at.

Clinical Microbiology Reviews, April 1998, p. 318-340, Vol. 11, No. 2
0893-8512/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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Copyright © 1998 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.