Volatile products from acetylcholine as markers in the rapid urine test using head-space gas-liquid chromatography.

Head-space gas--liquid chromatographic analyses of cultures of all Proteus spp. showed that the production of trimethylamine from acetylcholine could be the marker for the detection in 3.5 h of significant numbers of P. mirabilis, P. vulgaris, P. rettgeri and P. inconstans A in the rapid test for Escherichia and Klebsiella spp. in urine specimens. Trimethylamine was not detected in cultures of five other urinary pathogens. Six of fifteen strains of K. aerogenes produced trimethylamine from acetylcholine but were distinguished from Proteus spp. by ethanol production from arabinose. Ethyl acetate was produced from acetylcholine by P. mirabilis, P. vulgaris, P. rettgeri, P. inconstans A, P. inconstans B, E. coli, K. aerogenes and Streptococcus faecalis.