Open AccessInactivation of penicillin‐induced staphylococcal L‐forms by human serum high density lipoprotein
Author(s) -
Shimokawa Osamu,
Nakayama Hiroaki
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1997.tb12714.x
Subject(s) - lytic cycle , penicillin , staphylococcus aureus , antimicrobial , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , cytotoxicity , lipoprotein , staphylococcus , chemistry , biology , antibiotics , cholesterol , biochemistry , immunology , in vitro , genetics , virus
In penicillin‐susceptible bacteria, penicillin causes growth of a small fraction of cells as wall‐deficient forms if an appropriate osmoprotection is provided (unstable L‐forms). A subfraction of human serum high density lipoprotein (HDL 3 ) was shown to have the ability to inactivate unstable L‐forms of Staphylococcus aureus . The active principle was distinguishable from the well‐documented trypanosome lytic factor 1 with respect to density, size, and other properties. This L‐form cytotoxicity therefore seems to represent a novel antimicrobial entity in human serum.