Open AccessStudies on Antagonism Between Human Skin Bacteria
Author(s) -
Peter Marsh,
Sydney Selwyn
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
journal of medical microbiology/journal of medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.91
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1473-5644
pISSN - 0022-2615
DOI - 10.1099/00222615-10-2-161
Subject(s) - antagonism , bacteria , strain (injury) , staphylococcus epidermidis , microbiology and biotechnology , antibiotics , biology , human skin , staphylococcus , food science , staphylococcus aureus , biochemistry , anatomy , genetics , receptor
Antagonism by an antibiotic-producing Staphylococcus epidermidis strain (S6+) against other bacteria was studied semi-quantitatively on solid media and quantitatively in liquid batch culture. Parallel experiments were performed with a similar but non-antibiotic producing strain (S6-). On solid media strain S6+ in the logarithmic growth phase unilaterally inhibited members of all gram-positive species tested, whereas S6- had no effect. In liquid media, more complex interactions were observed, including mutual and reversed antagonisms. The relevance of these findings to the ecology of human skin is discussed.