Table 3. Biochemical characteristics of representative strains of S. flexneri serotype Z and other serotypes.
| Subserotypes of S. flexneri | No of tested strains | Indole prodn | Mannitol | Arginine decarboxylase | Glucose | Arabinose | Raffinose | Rhamnose | Trehalose | Sodium acetate | Maltose | Xylose | Mannose | Biotype |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z | 65 | 100% | 100% | 4.5% | 100% | (58%+)ǂ | 0% | 0% | 30% (70%+) | 0% | 100% | 0% | 100% | B1 |
| Yb | 10 | 100% | 100% | 0% | 100% | (60%+) | 0% | 0% | 20% (80%+) | 0% | 100% | 0% | 100% | B1 |
| Ya | 25 | 100% | 100% | 4% | 100% | (60%) | 0% | 0% | 33% (67%+) | 0% | 100% | 0% | 100% | B1 |
| Xa | 4 | 0% | 100% | 0% | 100% | 100% | 0% | 0% | (100%+) | 0% | 100% | 0% | 100% | B2 |
| Xb | 1 | 0% | 100% | 0% | 100% | 100% | 0% | 0% | (100%+) | 0% | 100% | 0% | 100% | B2 |
| 2a | 5 | 0% | 100% | 0% | 100% | 80% (20%+) | 0% | 0% | (100%+) | 0% | 100% | 0% | 100% | B2 |
| 2b | 5 | 0% | 100% | 0% | 100% | 100% | 0% | 0% | (100%+) | 0% | 100% | 0% | 100% | B2 |
ǂ in parenthesis, strains required prolong incubation time (≥4 days) for fermentation.