[Isolation and description of strains of Flavobacterium multivorum of telluric origin]

Twenty encapsulated strains of Flavobacterium multivorum were isolated from soil by elective culture in minimal medium containing inulin as the sole source of carbon and energy. These strains were compared with the type strain and with 5 other strains (including 4 clinical strains) of F. multivorum. Of 168 substrates tested, 18 carbohydrates were used as the sole carbon and energy source by all 26 strains. A few amino acids were used by some strains. The yellow pigment produced was found to be a carotene and its production was photo-inducible. The presence of a cytochrome c oxidase of the aa3 type was suggested by absorption spectra. The major cell lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and sphingolipids; the major fatty acids were 13-methyltetradecanoic and 2-hydroxy-13-methyltetradecanoic acids. Soil and clinical strains of F. multivorum showed roughly similar patterns of antibiotic multiresistance. The average G + C content of the DNA of 11 strains was 40.8 +/- 1.5 mol%.