<原著>非定型抗酸菌の性状 (III) : 平板培地上における集落観察の試み (ii)

Abstract

A total of 25 strains of rapidly growing mycobacteria which represent 5 species were inoculated on two kinds different media, namely Kirchner agar medium and modified Corn Meal Glycerol agar medium, and their colonial characteristics were observed by a low power microscope to make sure if it is useful enough to differentiate various rapidly growing mycobacterial species. Among the species tested, M. fortuitum showed most characteristic colonial morphology than others with its conspicuous branching filamentous extensions on modified Corn Meal Glycerol agar medium, though this feature was less evident on Kirchner agar medium. This characteristic seems to have some resemblance to colonial morphology of Nocardia species. The colonies of M. chelonei lack their branching filaments and in this they seem to be rather sharply distinct from M. fortuitum and some other species of rapid growers. The species tested other than M. fortuitum and M. chelonei were all without distinctive characteristics in their colonial morphology. In view of rather frequent isolation from clinical specimen of M. fortuitum and M. chelonei, the above mentioned characterisic colonial morphology of M. fortuitum is useful tool in the identification procedures.