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PubMed · 4569405

Effect of lysozyme on enterococcal viability in low ionic environments.

R H Metcalf·R H Deibel
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Abstract

The action of lysozyme on the enterococcal cell differed markedly as a function of the ionic strength of the environment. In high ionic environments (I approximately 0.3), the traditionally slow lytic response and decrease in viability were noted. In a low ionic environment the majority of the cell wall was hydrolyzed, but cellular integrity was preserved and almost all cellular protein, deoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acid remained with the lysozyme-cell complex. However, under these conditions, lysozyme inactivated energy-yielding metabolism, and a rapid extensive loss of viability was observed. Some other basic compounds without lytic activity on the cell wall also effected a substantial reduction in viability. The data suggest that lysozyme acts on the cell membrane to effect disruption of cellular metabolism.

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Bacterial ProteinsBacteriological TechniquesBacteriolysisBacteriophagesCarbon IsotopesCell MembraneCell SurvivalCell WallCulture MediaDNA, BacterialHydrogen-Ion ConcentrationLysogenyMicroscopy, Phase-ContrastMuramidaseOsmolar ConcentrationOsmotic FragilityRNA, BacterialSpectrophotometry, UltravioletStreptococcusTritiumVirus ReplicationJournal Article

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R H Metcalf, R H Deibel. 1973. Effect of lysozyme on enterococcal viability in low ionic environments.. https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.113.1.278-286.1973

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