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. 1996 Sep;64(9):3853–3857. doi: 10.1128/iai.64.9.3853-3857.1996

The alpha-hemolysin of Streptococcus gordonii is hydrogen peroxide.

J P Barnard 1, M W Stinson 1
PMCID: PMC174302  PMID: 8751938

Abstract

The alpha-hemolysin of viridans group streptococci, which causes greening of intact erythrocytes, is a potential virulence factor as well as an important criterion for the laboratory identification of these bacteria; however, it has never been purified and characterized. The alpha-hemolysin of Streptococcus gordonii CH1 caused characteristic shifts in the A403, A430, A578, and A630 of sheep hemoglobin. A spectrophotometric assay was developed and used to monitor purification of alpha-hemolysin during extraction in organic solvents and separation by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The alpha-hemolysin was identical to hydrogen peroxide with respect to its effects on erythrocyte hemoglobin, oxygen-dependent synthesis by streptococci, insensitivity to proteases, inactivation by catalase, differential solubility, failure to adsorb to ion-exchange chromatography resins, and retention time on a reverse-phase HPLC column. The amount of hydrogen peroxide present in HPLC-fractionated spent culture medium was sufficient to account for all alpha-hemolytic activity observed.

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Selected References

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