AN INVESTIGATION OF GRAM-NEGATIVE TANNIN-PROTEIN COMPLEX DEGRADING BACTERIA IN FECAL FLORA OF VARIOUS MAMMALS

Gram-negative tannin-protein complex degrading bacteria (T-PCDB) were first isolated from animals except for the koala. The occurrence of T- PCDB in feces of 15 species of mammals with different feeding habits w as investigated. T-PCDB occurred in 7 of 54 horses but they could not be isolated from other mammals tested. These T-PCDB comprised less tha n 0.1% of the facultative anaerobic microflora in horse feces and it w as much less than that previously reported in koala feces (>60%). A to tal of 7 T-PCDB fecal isolates showed a range of phenotypic diversitie s. They were all Gram-negative rods of various sizes and shapes includ ing coccoidal rod. Although all produced tannase, no strain showed to have gallate decarboxylase. A total of 23 representative strains belon ging to the family Pasteurellaceae were also tested for tannase produc tion. Two strains, Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans NIAH-10202(T) and Haemophilus segnis NIAH-10183(T) which were isolated from human oral cavity were detected positive for tannase.