CHARACTERIZATION OF ATYPICAL MYCOBACTERIA AND OF NOCARDIA SPECIES ISOLATED FROM CLINICAL SPECIMENS .1. CHARACTERIZATION OF ATYPICAL MYCOBACTERIA BY MEANS OF THE MICROCOLONIAL TEST

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Abstract
The microcolonial test for neutral red staining of mycobacteria grown on molecular filter membranes was applied to atypical mycobacteria isolated from clinical materials. The results were correlated with pigmentation, animal pathogenicity, and clinical source of the atypical mycobacteria. Furthermore, it was possible to classify the organisms into three main microcolonial morphologic groups. Typical Mycobacterium tuberculosis formed tight "cords", photochromogens produced intermediate "cording", and certain skotochromogens and nonpigmented atypical mycobacteria produced disoriented "noncorded" colonies.