Proteoytic Activity and Swarming Growth of Proteus spp. Isolates.
Many clinical isolates of proteus spp. (30 isolates of P
mirabilis and 30 isolates of P. vulgaris) from patients with urinary
tract infections (UTIs) were examined for their ability to produce
proteolytic enzymes and their ability to form swarming growth. Most
(90%) of P. mirabilis and 60% of P. vulgaris isolates secreta
proteolytic enzymes. A strong correlation was found between the
ability of a strain to secreted proteases and it's ability to form
swarming growth. Non- swarming isolates invariably appeared to be
non- proteolytic. However, some isolates (12 isolates of P. vagaries)
were non- proteolytic even when they formed swarming growth