[Fermentation of galacturonate by "Shigella" (author's transl)]

The ability of 300 Shigella strains to produce acid from galacturonate (galacturonate test) was examined. With respect to this galacturonate test, all S. flexnerii serotypes (except serotype 6) were positive, and all S. dysenteriae serotypes (except serotypes 8 and 10) negative. In S. boydii, serotypes 5, 7 and 11-13 were positive, and 1-4, 6, 8-10, 14 and 15 negative. In S. dysenteriae (except serotype 8), S. flexnerii and S. boydii, strains of a same serotype gave always identical reactions in the galacturonate test. S. sonnei biotypes d and e and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) negative strains of biotype a gave a positive galacturonate test. S. sonnei biotypes a (ODC positive strains), g and f were negative in this test.