Enzymatic characterization of Aeromonas hydrophila complex by the API ZYM system.

Enzymatic characterization of 48 Aeromonas hydrophila complex isolates from various sources was determined with the API ZYM system (Analytab Products, Plainview, N.Y.). All isolates lacked valine and cystine aminopeptidases, chymotrypsin, alpha-mannosidase, alpha-fucosidase, alpha-galactosidase, and beta-glucuronidase but possessed caprylate esterase-lipase, leucine aminopeptidase, acid phosphatase, phosphoamidase, and N-acetyl-beta-glucosidase. Variability was found in the presence of alkaline phosphatase, butyrate esterase, myristate lipase, trypsin, beta-galactosidase, alpha-glucosidase, and beta-glucosidase. No significant differences were evident among the enzymatic profiles of isolates from various sources.