CAPSULE STAIN

Guide Questions:
1. Discuss the medical application of capsule staining.

The main objective of capsule staining is to detect and identify the presence
of a bacterial capsule. Standard simple staining method or after Gram stain usually
make it nearly impossible to observe the water-soluble capsule of some bacterial
cells. Now by identifying the presence of this capsule in a certain type of bacteria,
medical professionals would be able to determine the pathogenicity of the bacteria.
This will allow them to identify the potential diseases the bacteria with capsule
could cause in the human body. This capsule is known to be a virulence factor as
it increases bacteria’s potentiality to cause disease. Further, by understanding the
morphology of this particular bacteria, it enables the medical professionals to
create medicine for this pathogen.

2. What is the relationship between the presence of capsules and bacterial

pathogenicity?

Capsules are sugary polysaccharide layers that wrap around the cell. It's a
type of glycocalyx that's incredibly well-organized and can be rather thick. This
capsule now increases the bacteria's pathogenicity. It promotes pathogenicity by
making the capsule resistant to phagocytosis. Phagocytosis is the process by
which white blood cells chew up and eliminate foreign objects such as bacteria. If
it contains a capsule, however, it resists this process, allowing the bacteria to elude
the immune system and have a greater potential to infiltrate cells and cause
disease.

3. Name several microorganisms of the following categories, and the corresponding

disease/s they cause

a) Gram + and capsulated

• Staphylococcus aureus is a gram positive and encapsulated

bacterium. It causes infection in the skin, pneumonia, endocarditis,
as well as osteomyelitis.
 • Staphylococcus epidermis is a gram positive and mostly
encapsulated bacterium. It is one of the most common causes of
infective endocarditis in both prosthetic and natural valves.

b) Gram – and capsulated

• Escherichia coli a bacterium that causes cholecystitis, bacteremia,

cholangitis, urinary tract infection (UTI) and traveler’s diarrhea. It also
causes some other clinical infections such as neonatal meningitis as
well as pneumonia.

• Neisseria meningitidis is a bacterium the causes meningococcal

meningitis as well as meningococcemia.

c) Capsulated yeast

• Candida albicans is a type of yeast that causes fungal infection also

known as candidiasis. It is also the most common causes of genital
yeast infections.

• Cryptococcus neoformans is a type of fungus that inhabits in the

environment all over the world. It causes cryptococcal meningitis, an
infection after the fungus spreads from the lungs up to the brain.

4. Draw (with color) and describe the morphology of the following bacteria after
subjected to capsule stain.

a) Bacillus anthracis

Bacillus anthracis is rod-shaped,

gram positive, nonmotile and a
rectangular bacterium. It forms
commonly in a chain. Further, it also
forms oval spores located centrally in a
nonswollen sporangium.
b) Klebsiella pneumonia

Klebsiella pneumonia is a Gram-

negative, nonmotile and a rod-shaped
bacterium. They are arranged in pairs,
short chains or singly. Further, the cells
are capsulated.

c) Haemophilus influenza

Haemophilus influenza is a gram-

negative bacterium with a variable shape
like bacilli, or coccobacilli and are
arranged randomly. They are, nonmotile,
pleomorphic and are typically small.
REFERENCES

Aryal, S. Capsule Staining- Principle, Reagents, Procedure and Result. Microbiology Info.com.
https://microbiologyinfo.com/capsule-staining-principle-reagents-procedure-and-result/

Hughes, R. and Smith, A. (2007) Capsule Stain Protocols. https://asm.org/ASM/media/Protocol-

Images/Capsule-Stain-Protocols.pdf?ext=.pdf

Breakwell, D., Moyes, R. and Reynolds, J. (2009) Differential staining of bacteria: capsule stain. NIH.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19885936/

Biology LibreTexts (2021) 21: Capsule Stain.

https://bio.libretexts.org/Learning_Objects/Laboratory_Experiments/Microbiology_Labs/Micro
biology_Labs_I/21%3A_Capsule_Stain