Open AccessAbnormal Autolytic Enzyme in a Pneumococcus with Altered Teichoic Acid Composition
Author(s) -
Alexander Tomasz,
Monika Westphal
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.68.11.2627
Subject(s) - teichoic acid , autolysin , autolysis (biology) , enzyme , biochemistry , choline , cell wall , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , biology , peptidoglycan , genetics
Pneumococci in which the choline component of the cell wall teichoic acid was replaced by ethanolamine contain an abnormal autolytic enzyme that has a low molecular weight and low activity in contrast to the enzyme typical of choline-containing bacteria that has a high molecular weight and high activity. The abnormal autolysin can be converted to the normal (cholinetype) enzyme by incubationin vitro with choline-containing cell walls.