This is a defined medium used to determine if an organism can use citrate as its sole carbon source. It is often used to differentiate between members of Enterobacteriaceae. In organisms capable of utilizing citrate as a carbon source, the enzyme citrase hydrolyzes citrate into oxaoloacetic acid and acetic acid. The oxaloacetic acid is then hydrolyzed into pyruvic acid and CO2. If CO2 is produced, it reacts with components of the medium to produce an alkaline compound (e.g. Na2CO3). The alkaline pH turns the pH indicator (bromthymol blue) from green to blue. This is a positive result (the tube on the right is citrate positive). Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis are examples of citrate positive organisms. Escherichia coli and Shigella dysenteriae are citrate negative.
