Highly Reproducible Techniques for Use in Systematic Bacteriology in the Genus Mycobacterium: Tests for Pigment, Urease, Resistance to Sodium Chloride, Hydrolysis of Tween 80, and β-Galactosidase

The International Working Group on Mycobacterial Taxonomy has undertaken a series of cooperative studies to standardize and establish reproducibility of tests that are useful for classifying and identifying mycobacteria. To date 25 techniques have been examined, and 5 of these met our rigorous criteria for reproducibility and differential power. The properties determined by these tests are urease activity, pigment production, tolerance to 5% NaCl, hydrolysis of Tween 80, and β-galactosidase activity.