This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Basinger, S. F. Articles by Jackson, R. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Basinger, S. F. Articles by Jackson, R. W.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Bacteriol. 1968 December; 96(6): 1895-1902
Copyright © 1968 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Bacteriocin (Hemolysin) of Streptococcus zymogenes

^a Department of Bacteriology and Botany, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13210

ABSTRACT

The sensitivity of Streptococcus faecalis (ATTC 8043) to S. zymogenes X-14 bacteriocin depends greatly on its physiological age. Sensitivity decreases from the mid-log phase on and is completely lost in the stationary phase. The sensitivity of erythrocytes to the hemolytic capacity of the bacteriocin showed considerable species variation. The order of increasing sensitivity was goose < sheep < dog < horse < human < rabbit. However, when red cell stromata were used as inhibitors of hemolysis in a standard system employing rabbit erythrocytes the order of increasing effectiveness was sheep < rabbit < human < horse < goose. When rabbit cells were used in varying concentrations with a constant hemolysin concentration, there was a lag of about 30 min, which for a given hemolysin preparation was constant for all red cell concentrations. Furthermore, the rate of hemolysis increased with increasing red cell concentration. If red cells are held constant and lysin varied, the time to reach half-maximal lysis varies directly with lysin but is not strictly proportional. Bacterial membranes were one to three orders of magnitude more effective than red cell stromata as inhibitors. The order of increasing effectiveness seems to be Escherichia coli < Bacillus megaterium < S. faecalis < Micrococcus lysodeikticus. In addition to membranes, a D-alanine containing glycerol teichoic acid, trypsin in high concentration, and deoxyribonuclease also inhibited hemolysis. Ribonuclease, D-alanine, L-alanine, DL-alanyl-DL-alanine, N-acetyl-D-alanine, N-acetyl-L-alanine did not inhibit hemolysis.

¹ Predoctoral trainee of the National Institutes of Health (2 T0I GM00991-5).

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Kayaoglu, G., Orstavik, D. (2004). VIRULENCE FACTORS OF ENTEROCOCCUS FAECALIS: RELATIONSHIP TO ENDODONTIC DISEASE. Crit. Rev. Oral Biol. Med. 15: 308-320 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Del Campo, R., Tenorio, C., Jiménez-Díaz, R., Rubio, C., Gómez-Lus, R., Baquero, F., Torres, C. (2001). Bacteriocin Production in Vancomycin-Resistant and Vancomycin-Susceptible Enterococcus Isolates of Different Origins. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 45: 905-912 [Abstract] [Full Text]