[Properties of adherent staphylococci isolated from the rumen wall in lambs]

Six defined strains of adherent, coagulase-negative and catalase-positive staphylococci were isolated from the rumen wall of lambs. All the strains fermented maltose and had positive acetoin production. The strains were classified as follows on the basis of diagnostic tests, according to an identification key: three strains belonged to the species Staphylococcus warneri (SW34, SW64, SW6), two to the species S. epidermidis (SE30, SE49) and one to the species S. cohnii subsp. urealyticum (SCU32)--Tab. I. The adherence index of the different isolates ranged from 1.9 +/- 0.02 to 14.9 +/- 2.12 of bacteria adhering to one epithelial cell of the rumen wall. There were large differences in urease production (2.3 +/- 0.15 to 29.3 +/- 1.16 nkat/ml). But in general the isolated staphylococci can be taken as strains with low, medium or high adherence, and/or urease activity (Tab. II). In the group of facultative anaerobic bacteria the staphylococci are the first, lactic acid producing bacteria and the attained production (0.164 to 0.687 mol/l) is adequate to their portion in the rumen (Tab. II). The isolated strains produced bacteriocin-like substances which inhibited the growth of maximally four out of the six used indicator bacteria of the same species, and also of a related species (Tab. III) while they showed small but clear zones of inhibition of the size 2 to 5 mm. In general, the mentioned staphylococci can be considered as little active producers of bacteriocin-like substances. All the tested strains were resistant to the observed heavy metals.