Numerical analysis of fatty acid profiles in the identification of staphylococci.

Representative strains of coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative staphylococci were degraded by acid methanolysis and the resultant fatty acid methyl esters analysed by gas chromatography. The quantitative data obtained were examined by cluster analysis. The coagulase-positive strains formed six major and one single-member cluster at the 90% S-level. The Staphylococcus intermedius aggregate cluster included the single-member cluster and major clusters 1 and 2. The four remaining clusters contained S. aureus strains and were homogeneous and distinct. The coagulase-negative strains were recovered in ten major and three single-member clusters at the 90% S-level. Five of the ten major clusters were reasonably homogeneous with respect to the existing classification. Thus, three S. capitis strains and five of the six S. epidermidis strains, two of the three S. hominis strains and five of the six S. simulans strains were recovered in separate clusters. Cluster 7 was divided into two subclusters; one contained five of the six S. hyicus strains and the other contained the two representatives of S. lentus. The remaining clusters were heterogeneous with regard to the named strains they contained.