[Arabinose, melibiose and xylose oxidation and fermentation in "Serratia" (author's transl)].

The oxidative and fermentative metabolisms of D(+)raffinose, D(-)arabinose, L(+)arabinose, D(+)melibiose and D(+)xylose were compared in 181 strains belonging to the genus Serratia, including collection strains and clinical isolates from various sources. At 30 degrees C, raffinose was neither fermented nor oxidized by S. marcescens, but was fermented by S. liquefaciens and S. rubidaea. D(-)arabinose was oxidized by all strains. L(+)arabinose, melibiose and xylose were fermented by all S. liquefaciens and S. rubidaea, while they were oxidized by most S. marcescens. Two strains of the latter species, however, were able to ferment xylose. The use of Hugh and Leifson's oxidation-fermentation medium containing melibiose or L(+)arabinose can help to differentiate S. rubidaea from pigmented strains of S. marcescens and to differentiate S. liquefaciens from unpigmented strains of S. marcescens.