TABLE 4.
Biochemical test results for 65 P. acnes isolates, including reference strains P. acnes type IA (NCTC 737) and P. acnes type II (NCTC 10390)a
| Phenotypic test | % of P. acnes isolates |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type IA (n = 20) | Type IB (n = 19) | Type II (n = 22) | Type III (n = 4) | |
| Lactose | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| N-Acetylglucosamine | 55 | 53 | 95 | 100 |
| Erythritol | 5 | 47 | 9 | 0 |
| Ribose | 95 | 89 | 100 | 100 |
| Sorbitol | 100 | 100 | 5 | 25 |
| Urease | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arginine dihydrolase | 95 | 100 | 95 | 100 |
| β-Galactosidase | 75 | 84 | 64 | 25 |
| α-Glucosidase | 15 | 84 | 77 | 50 |
| β-Glucoronidase | 5 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| β-N-Acetyl-glucosaminidase | 100 | 100 | 95 | 100 |
| Mannose fermentation | 100 | 100 | 86 | 75 |
| Raffose fermentation | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Nitrate reduction | 95 | 100 | 91 | 75 |
| Indole production | 95 | 79 | 59 | 50 |
| Arginine arylamidase | 40 | 37 | 59 | 25 |
| Leucyl glycine arylamidase | 10 | 11 | 18 | 0 |
| Phenylalanine | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Leucine arylamidase | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Pyroglutamic acid arylamidase | 5 | 11 | 9 | 0 |
| Alanine arylamidase | 100 | 95 | 82 | 50 |
| Serine arylamidase | 95 | 84 | 100 | 50 |
| β-N-Acetyl-galatosaminidase | 70 | 26 | 59 | 0 |
| Sialidase | 100 | 37 | 14 | 25 |
| Lipase | 95 | 26 | 0 | 25 |
a
Major differential characteristics distinguishing between types IA, IB, and II are highlighted in boldface. Data from type III strains were not included in the analysis due to the small number of isolates tested. All isolates were positive for glycine arylamidase activity and negative for β-fucosidase, α-fucosidase, β-glucosidase, α-galactosidase, α-arabinosidase, DNase, nonspecific proteinase, elastase, lecithinase, and hyaluronidase activities.