Protein profile typing--a new method of typing Morganella morganii strains.

A new, simple and stable method for typing Morganella morganii strains is described. The 150 strains examined, principally from faeces, contained haemolytic and non-haemolytic representatives of diverse O serogroup, bacteriocin type and biotype. Among the biotypes were some trehalose-fermenting, tetracycline-resistant strains and some non-motile, tetracycline-sensitive, glycerol fermenters. After analysis of cell lysates by sodium dodecyl sulphate-discontinuous polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, strains could be differentiated into 21 types on the basis of outer membrane proteins (OMP) of 35-40 Kda. The OMP profile was not altered by culture on various common media and was unrelated to either O antigen or morganocin p-type. The finest strain recognition in M. morganii can be achieved by application of all three distinct typing methods.