Oxidase test

The oxidase test is a test used in microbiology to determine if a bacterium produces certain . It uses disks impregnated with a reagent such as N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD) or N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DMPD), which is also a redox indicator. The reagent is a dark-blue to maroon color when oxidized, and colorless when reduced. Oxidase-positive bacteria possess cytochrome oxidase or indophenol oxidase (an iron-containing hemoprotein). These both catalyze the transport of electrons from donor compounds (NADH) to electron acceptors (usually oxygen). The test reagent, TMPD dihydrochloride acts as an artificial electron donor for the enzyme oxidase. The oxidized reagent forms the colored compound indophenol blue. The cytochrome system is usually only present in aerobic organisms that are capable of using oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor. The end-product of this metabolism is either water or hydrogen peroxide (broken down by catalase).

Strains may be either oxidase-positive (OX+) or oxidase-negative (OX-).

OX+ normally means the bacterium contains cytochrome c oxidase and can therefore use oxygen for energy production by converting O2 to H2O2 or H2O with an electron transfer chain.

The Pseudomonadaceae are typically OX+

The Gram-negative diplococci Neisseria and Moraxella are oxidase-positive.

Many Gram-negative, spiral curved rods are also oxidase-positive, which includes Helicobacter pylori, Vibrio cholerae, and Campylobacter jejuni.

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