A note on starch hydrolysis and beta-glucuronidase activity among flavobacteria

Most flavobacteria tested with the fluorogenic substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucuronide possessed beta-glucuronidase (GUD), but when some of the same strains were tested with the API ZYM gallery, all were negative for GUD. Conflicting reports also appear in the literature about starch hydrolysis among flavobacteria. We observed that the results obtained can depend on the medium used and the length of incubation. Our results indicate that GUD activity and starch hydrolysis are more widely distributed in the genus Flavobacterium than previously reported.