Proteus is a genus of bacteria in the family of Enterobacteriaceae. Proteus species are famous for their swarming on solid culture media.
When different Proteus species swarm towards each other, a line of inhibited growth results where strains meet. This was first observed in 1946 by Dienes and is referred to as the Dienes phenomenon. This line of inhibited growth results from the production of and sensitivity to different types of bacteriocins, namely, proticines, produced by different strains of Proteus species.
If two strains were able to detect different proticines produced by a neighbor, there would be growth inhibition and the formation of a Dienes line. Alternatively, if no proticine difference were detected, the neighboring swarmer would be recognized as "self" and the swarms would interact.
This phenomenon is of value in differentiating the two strains of Proteus for epidemiological purposes.
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NICE INFO!
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