Nitrogen requirements and uricolytic activity of cutaneous bacteria.

Uric acid, but not xanthine, was degraded by gram-positive catalase-producing cocci and diphtheroids which represented the two predominant human autochthonous skin bacteria. The proportions of uricolytic cocci and diphtheroids varied with the cutaneous site sampled. Uric acid and allantoin were not utilized by cocci or diphtheroids as sole sources of nitrogen. Uric acid appeared to act only as a secondary substrate for the gram-positive bacteria. Cutaneous cocci are known to be ureolytic but few diphtheroids had urease activity. Urea and ammonium nitrogen were not utilized as sole nitrogen sources by cocci, but some diphtheroids used these compounds for nitrogen. The majority of the cocci and diphtheroids were nutritionally fastidious and required amino-nitrogen for growth. In addition, some strains required vitamins and other unidentified metabolites found in yeast extract. These requirements were partially related to the cutaneous site from which the cocci or diphtheroids were isolated. Certain gram-negative bacilli degraded uric acid and utilized urate or its degradation products as nitrogen sources.