catalase test notes

1. Catalase Test
Author: Multiple Authors
Citation: Multiple Authors. 2010. Catalase test.
Publication Date: November 2010

2. Slide Catalase Test Results
Slide catalase test results. Hydrogen peroxide was added directly to the culture on a microscope slide. A positive reaction produced by Staphylococcus
aureus is indicated by bubbling; a negative reaction produced by Streptococcus pyogenes is indicated by lack of bubbling. (Karen Reiner, Andrews
University, Berrien Springs, MI)
American Society For Microbiology ©

3. Positive Catalase Reaction Produced by Staphylococcus aureus
A positive catalase reaction produced by Staphylococcus aureus. Using a wooden applicator stick, a small amount of organism from a well-isolated 24-
hour colony was collected and placed into the test tube containing hydrogen peroxide. A positive result is indicated by bubbling. (Karen Reiner,
Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI)
American Society For Microbiology ©

4. Negative Catalase Reaction Produced by Streptococcus pyogenes
A negative catalase reaction produced by Streptococcus pyogenes. Using a wooden applicator stick, a small amount of organism from a well-isolated
24-hour colony was collected and placed into the test tube containing hydrogen peroxide. A negative result is indicated by lack of bubbling. (Karen
Reiner, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI)
American Society For Microbiology ©

5. Positive Catalase Reaction Produced by Staphylococcus aureus
A positive catalase reaction produced by Staphylococcus aureus. Hydrogen peroxide was added directly to 24-hour growth on a nutrient agar slant. A
positive result is indicated by bubbling. (Karen Reiner, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI)
American Society For Microbiology ©

6. Negative Catalase Reaction Produced by Streptococcus pyogenes
A negative catalase reaction produced by Streptococcus pyogenes. Hydrogen peroxide was added directly to 24-hour growth on a nutrient agar slant.
A negative result is indicated by lack of bubbling. (Karen Reiner, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI)
American Society For Microbiology ©

7. Application of the Catalase Test
An application of the catalase test. On the top left is an uninoculated mannitol salt agar plate (pink). On the top right, a coagulase-positive
staphylococci from an infection in a 10-month old infant is growing on a mannitol salt agar plate. A slide catalase test result is also given. A drop
of hydrogen peroxide is shown on the left and the catalase-positive staphylococci from the infection on the right. Hydrogen peroxide was added
directly to the culture on the microscope slide. A positive reaction is indicated by bubbling. (Clarissa L. Kaup, Bellevue University, Bellevue, NE; J. L.
Henriksen, Bellevue University, Bellevue, NE)
American Society For Microbiology ©

8. American Society For Microbiology ©
Application of the Catalase Test
An application of the catalase test. A coagulase-positive staphylococci isolated from the anterior nares of a healthy 9-year-old female is growing on a
mannitol salt agar plate. The culture fermented mannitol, typical of Staphylococcus aureus, but also created a thick, viscous film that grew on the
plastic sides and lid of the petri plate, a growth pattern not typical of S. aureus. A slide catalase test result is also given. A drop of hydrogen peroxide is
shown on the left and the catalase-positive staphylococci on the right. Hydrogen peroxide was added directly to the culture on the microscope slide. A
positive reaction is indicated by bubbling.
(Clarissa L. Kaup, Bellevue University, Bellevue, NE; J. L. Henriksen, Bellevue University, Bellevue, NE)

9. Slide Catalase Test Results
Slide catalase test results. Hydrogen peroxide was added directly to the culture on a microscope slide. A positive reaction is indicated by
bubbling. (Diane Hartman, Baylor University, Waco, TX)
American Society For Microbiology ©

10. Positive Catalase Reaction
A positive catalase reaction. Hydrogen peroxide was added directly to 24-hour growth on a tryptic soy agar slant. A positive result is indicated by
bubbling. (Diane Hartman, Baylor University, Waco, TX)
American Society For Microbiology ©

11. Negative Catalase Reaction
A negative catalase reaction. Hydrogen peroxide was added directly to 24-hour growth on a tryptic soy agar slant. A negative result is indicated by lack
of bubbling. (Diane Hartman, Baylor University, Waco, TX)
American Society For Microbiology ©

12. Positive Catalase Reaction Produced by Staphylococcus aureus
A positive catalase reaction produced by Staphylococcus aureus. Hydrogen peroxide was added directly to 24-hour growth on a nutrient agar plate. A
positive result is indicated by bubbling. (Tasha Sturm, Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA)
American Society For Microbiology ©

13. Positive Catalase Reaction Produced by Staphylococcus aureus (enlarged view)
A positive catalase reaction produced by Staphylococcus aureus. Hydrogen peroxide was added directly to 24-hour growth on a nutrient agar plate. A
positive result is indicated by bubbling. (enlarged view) (Tasha Sturm, Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA)
American Society For Microbiology ©

14. American Society For Microbiology ©
Slide Catalase Test of Proteus vulgaris
This figure shows a positive catalase slide test alongside a negative result. Hydrogen peroxide is added directly to a sample placed on a clean
microscope slide. A positive result, illustrated by Proteus vulgaris, shows bubbling. A negative result, illustrated by Enterococcus faecalis, shows no
bubbling.
The enzyme catalase converts hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen, thus helping an organism cope with toxic O₂ species. The catalase test is
used to detect an organism’s ability to produce catalase. In a clinical setting, the catalase test can be used to differentiate various Gram-positive cocci,
such as among the Staphylococci and Streptococci, and to confirm identification of various pathogens. (Elizabeth Caluag, Coastline Community
College, Fountain Valley, CA)