Fifty-seven bacterial strains, including corynebacteria, “plant pathogenic corynebacteria,” mycobacteria, and nocardias, were examined (aerobically and anaerobically) for their capacity to produce a glucan phosphorylase (α-1,4-glucan:orthophosphate glucosyl transferase, EC 2.4.1.1), which synthesizes an iodinophilic starch-like polysaccharide from glucose-1-phosphate. Only Corynebacterium diphtheriae, C. belfanti, C. ulcerans, C. ovis, C. kutscheri, C. minutissimum, and two (out of eight) strains of C. renale yielded positive results. The presence of glucose-1-phosphate-induced starch-like material appears to be a valid additional means of distinguishing most true corynebacteria from mycobacteria and nocardias.
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