Biochemical characterization of unidentified microaerophilic cocci isolated from heifer and dry-cow mastitis

Thirty-nine strains of gram-positive microaerophilic cocci isolated from cases of heifer and dry-cow mastitis were biochemically characterized with the API 50E and API-ZYM test kit systems, gas-liquid chromatography for analysis of end products of glucose metabolism, and anaerobic biochemical tests (L. V. Holdeman, E. P. Cato, and W. E. C. Moore, Anaerobe Laboratory Manual, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, 1977). Strains were screened for production of a variety of extracellular enzymes on substrate-containing agar plates and for hemolysin and coagulase production. Antibiotic susceptibility and sensitivity tests were also performed. The microaerophilic cocci displayed homogeneity with respect to the majority of the biochemical tests used; i.e., greater than or equal to 90% of the strains were consistently positive or negative in any one test and probably represent one species. All produced deoxyribonuclease, ribonuclease, and hyaluronidase, and 92% were positive for chondroitin sulfatase. Catalase and coagulase tests were negative. Greening was observed on bovine blood agar. Acetic and succinic acids were produced by all strains as the only detectable products of glucose metabolism. The strains were susceptible to penicillin G, cefoxitin, doxycycline, and chloramphenicol and were resistant to clindamycin, novobiocin, and metronidazole. Their taxonomic position remains unclear.