Mar 17, 2022

Public workspaceCatalase test for bacterial identification V.2

DOI
dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.b4yjqxun
  • 1Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon
Lydia G. Rivera-Morales
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DOI: dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.b4yjqxun
External link: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264273
Protocol Citation: Lydia G. Rivera-Morales 2022. Catalase test for bacterial identification. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.b4yjqxunVersion created by Lydia G. Rivera-Morales
Manuscript citation:
Palacios-Saucedo GdC, Rivera-Morales LG, Vázquez-Guillén JM, Caballero-Trejo A, Mellado-García MC, Flores-Flores AS, González-Navarro JA, Herrera-Rivera CG, Osuna-Rosales LE, Hernández-González JA, Vázquez-Juárez R, Barrón-Enríquez C, Valladares-Trujillo R, Treviño-Baez JD, Alonso-Téllez CA, Ramírez-Calvillo LD, Cerda-Flores RM, Ortiz-López R, Rivera-Alvarado M
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,  which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
Created: February 11, 2022
Last Modified: March 17, 2022
Protocol Integer ID: 58091
Abstract
The catalase enzyme is found in most aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria that contain cytochrome, being the main exception Streptococcus. Organisms that do not have the cytochrome system also lack the enzyme catalase and therefore cannot break down hydrogen peroxide.

Materials
  • Hydrogen peroxide (Degasa, Cd. Mexico, Mexico).
  • Glass slides.
  • Plastic loop
  • Group B Streptococcus agalactiae culture on blood agar plate.
Transfer 2-4 colonies of the bacterial growth in blood agar plates to a glass
slide using a sterile plastic loop, make circles, and let it dry.
Note
NOTE: Culture should be 18 to 24 hours old. Metal loops could cause false
positives.

Place a drop of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 0 2 ) on the glass slide with an
eyedropper.
Note
NOTE: Store the hydrogen peroxide in a dark bottle and avoid exposure to
light. Keep refrigerated when not in use.

Observe immediate results.
Positive: The oxygen released will be observed as a formation of bubbles.
Negative: No or very few bubbles produced.
Note
NOTE: Group B Streptococcus agalactiae is catalase-negative.