The Elastase Activity of Gram-negativeNon-fermenting Bacteria and Two Variants of a Simple Method for its Detection

Overview

The ability to produce elastase was examined in 1 168 strains of 11 representative genera ofGram-negative non-fermenting bacteria isolated from weakened patients in the course of eightyears. Detection of the elastase activity was performed parallelly using the conventional methodand its pulverisation variant. The difference between the results accomplished by the classicalmethod and its pulverisation variant (53.9% versus 60.5% detected elastase-positive strains) washighly significant (p < 0.05).Among the examined strains 500 (42.8%) displayed elastase activity. The highest proportion of theelastase positive strains was found in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (84.5%), P. fluorescens (60.5%), P.stutzeri (56.4%), Burkholderia cepacia (43.8%) and Shewanella putrefaciens (39.7%).Elastase activity detected in Burkholderia cepacia, Pseudomonas alcaligenes, P. mendocina, P.putida, P. stutzeri and in Shewanella putrefaciens is apparently described for the first time.

Key words:
elastase activity – Gram-negative non-fermenting bacteria – detection.