Lytic Enzyme Produced by Myxococcus xanthus
AUTOR(ES)
Hart, Beth A.
RESUMO
Hart, Beth A. (Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.), and Stanley A. Zahler. Lytic enzyme produced by Myxococcus xanthus. J. Bacteriol. 92:1632–1637. 1966.—Strain FBa of Myxococcus xanthus releases into its culture medium an enzyme capable of lysing Micrococcus lysodeikticus cells and of releasing N-acetyl amino sugars from their cell walls. The lysin is stable at pH values near neutrality and at temperatures below 50 C. It lyses a number of bacterial species sensitive to egg-white lysozyme, and fails to lyse lysozyme-resistant species. Sensitivity of M. lysodeikticus cell walls to FBa lysin and to lysozyme is changed in a similar manner by addition and removal of O-acetyl groups. We describe methods for obtaining 190-fold purification of the lysin from culture filtrates, using acetone and ammonium sulfate precipitations and filtration through diethylaminoethyl cellulose. We also describe a gel filtration method for separating the lysin from a protease which is also produced by strain FBa.
