Biochemical characterization of nine oral small-sized spirochete strains containing one endoflagellum from each...

The purpose of the present investigation was to establish a biochemical characterization of oral spirochetes containing one endoflagellum from each cell-end. Nine spirochete strains were isolated from subgingival plaque with pocket depth greater than 6 mm. The following metabolic capabilities were examined: fermentation of 16 different carbohydrates, hydrolysis of urea, gelatin and esculin, and production of indol and H2S. Furthermore activities of the following categories of enzymes were examined: proteases, peptidases, lipases, glycosidases, phosphatases, and mucopolysaccharadases. The tests and analyses were routinely carried out with cultures in the early stationary phase of growth. Of the examined metabolic capabilities eleven of the 21 characters were identical for all strains. Only the fermentation of some of the carbohydrates varied between the strains. All strains were identical regarding the examined enzymes. The following enzyme activities were found: acid and alkaline phosphatase, C-4 (butyrate)-, and C-8 (caprylate)-lipases, peptidases, hyaluronidase, and chondroitinsulfatase. The findings are compared with earlier observations for the same spirochete morphotype and with small-sized spirochetes containing two endoflagella from each cell-end.