Campylobacter-Wolinella group organisms are the only oral bacteria that form arylsulfatase-active colonies on a synthetic indicator medium.

Most oral bacteria tested formed colonies on a chemically defined medium with a chromogenic arylsulfatase substrate. Arylsulfatase activity was, however, restricted to Campylobacter-Wolinella group organisms, including Wolinella recta, a possible periodontopathogen. W. recta was the only arylsulfatase-active species against which consistently high levels of antibody were detected in human sera.