This is due to the production of oxalacetic acid and acetate, when the enzyme citrase acts on the citrate. the oxalacetic acid and acetate is enzymatically converted to pyruvic acid and carbon dioxide. the carbon dioxide combines with sodium and water forming sodium carbonate which in turns makes the medium alkaline.
A citrate-positive organism may fail to produce a color change in Simmons citrate agar due to insufficient incubation time. The color change is typically a slow process, and some organisms may require longer incubation periods to manifest this change. Additionally, certain strains of bacteria may lack the necessary enzymes to utilize citrate effectively, resulting in no color change despite being citrate-positive.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa typically demonstrates a negative result on the citrate test, as it is unable to utilize citrate as its sole carbon source for growth. This bacterium lacks the enzyme citrate-permease needed to transport citrate into the cell for metabolism, leading to a lack of growth on citrate agar and a lack of color change from green to blue.
MacConkey agar: Selective for Gram-negative bacteria, inhibits the growth of Gram-positive bacteria. Hektoen enteric agar: Selective for Gram-negative enteric pathogens, such as Salmonella and Shigella species. Thiosulfate-citrate-bile salts-sucrose (TCBS) agar: Selective for Vibrio species, especially Vibrio cholerae. Cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin (CIN) agar: Selective for Yersinia species.
The blue color on the slant portion indicates the organism is utilizing citrate as a carbon source, resulting in alkaline byproducts that turn the pH indicator blue. The green butt remains acidic, as the organism is not utilizing citrate in the anaerobic conditions at the bottom of the tube. This differential color change helps differentiate between citrate-utilizing and non-utilizing bacteria.
Agar is a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed that is commonly used in laboratory experiments as a solid medium for growing microorganisms. It provides a stable surface for bacteria and other organisms to grow and can be easily manipulated to create different conditions for experimentation. Agar can be effectively utilized in laboratory experiments by providing a controlled environment for studying the growth and behavior of microorganisms, as well as for isolating and identifying different species. Additionally, agar can be used to test the effectiveness of antibiotics and other substances on microbial growth.
Simmons citrate agar is a differential agar used to determine if a sample bacteria can utilize citrate as its only carbon source. The agar is initially a green color due to the bromo thymol blue pH indicator in it. If a bacteria uses the citrate, the by-products are ammonia and ammonium hydroxide both of which will alkalize the agar and increase the pH to the point of changing the indicator's color to blue, so the whole agar turns from green to blue.
Simmons citrate agar is a differential medium. It is used to determine an organism's ability to utilize citrate as its sole carbon source. The medium contains bromothymol blue as a pH indicator, which changes color based on the pH level, allowing for differentiation between citrate-utilizing and non-utilizing bacteria. While it has some selective properties due to its composition, its primary function is to differentiate based on metabolic capabilities.
A citrate-positive organism may fail to produce a color change in Simmons citrate agar due to insufficient incubation time. The color change is typically a slow process, and some organisms may require longer incubation periods to manifest this change. Additionally, certain strains of bacteria may lack the necessary enzymes to utilize citrate effectively, resulting in no color change despite being citrate-positive.
Simmons citrate agar is considered a synthetic medium because it contains defined amounts of specific ingredients, including sodium citrate as the sole carbon source and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate as the nitrogen source. Unlike complex media, which contain undefined components like peptones or extracts, synthetic media are formulated with known quantities of pure chemical compounds, allowing for more controlled experimentation.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is typically citrate negative, meaning it cannot utilize citrate as its sole carbon source. However, some strains of E. coli, particularly certain Enterobacteriaceae, may exhibit citrate positivity due to specific metabolic capabilities. In laboratory tests, E. coli is generally classified as citrate-negative in standard media such as Simmons' citrate agar.
The result is the initial green color of the Simmons Citrate Agar turning blue; generating a positive indication that the organism does indeed utilize citrate as the sole source of carbon and energy.
For the Indole test, you add Kovac's reagent. For the Methyl Red test, you add Methyl Red indicator. For the Voges-Proskauer test, you add alpha-naphthol and potassium hydroxide. And for the Citrate test, you add Simmons citrate agar.
If amino acids were used they would not produce the same degree of pH change that results in color change of the indicator.
An organism that possesses the citrate lyase enzyme may not test positive on Simmon's citrate agar if it does not effectively utilize citrate under the specific conditions of the test, such as pH or temperature. Additionally, the organism might not be able to grow on the agar due to other metabolic limitations or competition with other microorganisms. This situation is not strictly a false negative, as the test specifically measures the ability to utilize citrate as the sole carbon source, rather than merely the presence of the enzyme. Thus, a negative result could reflect the organism's inability to metabolize citrate in that particular environment.
Salmonella can utilize citrate as its sole carbon source, which allows it to grow on citrate agar tubes. This characteristic is part of the citrate test used in microbiology to differentiate between various bacterial species. In a citrate tube, if Salmonella is present, it will typically produce a color change due to the alkaline byproducts of citrate metabolism. However, not all Salmonella strains are citrate-positive, so results may vary.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa typically demonstrates a negative result on the citrate test, as it is unable to utilize citrate as its sole carbon source for growth. This bacterium lacks the enzyme citrate-permease needed to transport citrate into the cell for metabolism, leading to a lack of growth on citrate agar and a lack of color change from green to blue.
Citrate, a Krebs cycle (i.e., TCA cycle or citric acid cycle) intermediate, is generated by many bacteria; however, utilization of exogenous citrate requires the presence of citrate transport proteins (permeases). Upon uptake by the cell, citrate is cleaved by citrate lyase to oxaloacetate and acetate. The oxaloacetate is then metabolized to pyruvate and CO2.