Rapid identification of environmental isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. fluorescens and P. putida by SDS‐PAGE analysis of whole‐cell protein patterns

Abstract

Abstract Environmental isolates of fluorescent pseudomonads grown to early stationary phase in glucose‐enriched Luria broth were treated with proteinase K in sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) lysis buffer and subsequently analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Four silver‐staining protein‐fragment bands could be used for rapid identification at the species level. Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were easily recognized by a unique banding pattern. Isolates considered to be P. fluorescen from biochemical and physiological tests (classical biotypes I, II, III, IV and V) also had a characteristic banding pattern, which in turn was different from that of P. putida isolates (classical biotype A). A residual group representing intermediate isolates of P. fluorescens (new biotype VI of Barrett et al., J. Gen. Microbiol. 132, 1986) or P. putida (biotype B) had a banding pattern similar to that of classical P. fluorescens biotypes. On the other hand, a group representing other intermediate isolates of P. putida (new biotype C of Barrett et al., J. Gen. Microbiol. 132, 1986) had a unique banding pattern resembling that of classical P. putida biotype A. A small number of protein fragment bands appearing in SDS‐PAGE analysis of whole‐cell lysates seems adequate for a rapid identification at the species level of P. aeruginosa, P. fluorescens and P. putida isolated from natural environments. Copyright © 1992, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved