Numerical Analysis of Fatty Acid Profiles in the Identification of Staphylococci

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Abstract
Representative strains of coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative staphylococci were degraded by acid methanolysis and the resultant fatty acid methyl esters analyzed by gas chromatography. The quantitative data obtained were examined by cluster analysis. The coagulase-positive strains formed 6 major and 1 single-member cluster at the 90% S-level. The Staphylococcus intermedius aggregate cluster included the single-member cluster and major clusters 1 and 2. The 4 remaining clusters contained S. aureus strains and were homogeneous and distinct. The coagulase-negative strains were recovered in 10 major and 3 single-member clusters at the 90% S-level. Five of the 10 major clusters were reasonably homogeneous with respect to the existing classification. Thus, 3 S. capitis strains and 5 of the 6 S. epidermidis strains, 2 of the 3 S. hominis strains and 5 of the 6 S. simulans strains were recovered in separate clusters. Cluster 7 was divided into 2 subclusters; 1 contained 5 of the 6 S. hyicus strains and the other contained the 2 representatives of S. lentus. The remaining clusters were heterogeneous with regard to the named strains they contained.