Micromethod for carbon substrate assimilation by Pseudomonas maltophilia.

Assimilation of 60 carbon sources by 114 Pseudomonas maltophilia strains, identified by conventional methods, was studied by a standardized micromethod (API strip). Automatic reading of growth intensity was done at 1, 2 and 4 days. Growth kinetics of reference strain NCTC 10257 were also studied and showed evidence of different growth according to the substrates. The results agreed well with nutritional patterns reported. This micro-method seems suitable for daily use by laboratories because of purity and standardization of substrates, facility of use, accurate and automatic reading, and the great number of assimilation tests possible.