Identification of Escherichia coli by detection of hydroquinone and uracil in the urine system.

For rapid identification of Escherichia coli, changes of urinary metabolites incubated with E. coli were investigated by gas chromatography--mass spectrometry. Hydroquinone and uracil were detected and the normal urinary constituent 4-deoxythreonic acid was found to diminish in urine incubated with E. coli. Hydroquinone could not be detected in urine incubated with Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Although uracil was detected in normal urine, urine incubated with E. coli showed an increased uracil level. Urine incubated with K. pneumoniae, S. marcescens or P. aeruginosa evidenced no such change. A decrease of 4-deoxythreonic acid was noted in urine incubated with S. marcescens or P. aeruginosa. In 7.0 X 10(7) cells of E. coli, 0.33-2.36 micrograms of hydroquinone and 13.4-42.0 micrograms of uracil were detected after 3 h of incubation at 38 degrees C, and production was not changed after 4, 5 or 8 h of incubation. These results suggest that the detection of hydroquinone and uracil in urine is useful for rapid identification of E. coli.