Demonstration of bacteroides capsules by light microscopy and ultrastructural cytochemistry

Forty-six anaerobic gram-negative bacilli, including 26 members of the Bacteroides fragilis group (BFG), were examined for capsules by the India ink technic. Thirty-five were encapsulated, including all the BFG strains. As a follow-up, seven of these isolates and two previously studied reference strains (B. fragilis ATCC 23745 and Bacteroides vulgatus ATCC 8482) were examined for capsules by ultrastructural cytochemistry. Using the periodic acid thiocarbohydrazide silver proteinate (PATCSP) method of Thiéry, all the BFG examined were encapsulated. In addition to the reference strains, this included one strain of B. fragilis and four of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. One non-BFG strain showed no capsular material. Differences between these results and those reported previously with the ruthenium red technic may reflect species differences in the chemical composition of Bacteroides capsules.