Abstract
Colicinelike substances, bacteriocines, are produced by many strains of Group A and non-Group A streptococci. Bacteriocines were detected by their inhibitory action on the growth of 2 Group A strains which served as indicators. Streptococcal bacteriocines were demonstrable on agar plates only if the bacteriocine-producing strain and the indicator lawn were alive and actively growing. The inhibitory substances diffused slowly into the agar during the course of growth. Bacteriocines were not replicated in the zones of inhibition in which the microorganisms of the indicator strains were killed. Attempts by various methods to separate bacteriocines from living bacteria were unsuccessful. In contrast to the many strains which produced bacteriocines, only a few strains of Group A streptococci were suitable to serve as indicators for bacteriocine production. Strains of Group A streptococci of the nephritogenic types 12, 4, and 49 produced bacteriocines most consistently. Strains of other types, isolated from patients with acute rheumatic fever or from children with uncomplicated streptococcal pharyngitis, produced bacteriocines infrequently. Among non-Group A streptococci bacteriocine-positive and bacteriocine-negative strains occurred in approximately equal numbers. It was shown by Wilson and by Bernheimer that the majority of the strains of the nephritogenic types were leukotoxic and produced DPNase. Bacteriocine production is another common characteristic property of these special types.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (712.5 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- BERNHEIMER A. W., LAZARIDES P. D., WILSON A. T. Diphosphopyridine nucleotidase as an extracellular product of streptococcal growth and its possible relationship to leukotoxicity. J Exp Med. 1957 Jul 1;106(1):27–37. doi: 10.1084/jem.106.1.27. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- BROCK T. D., PEACHER B., PIERSON D. SURVEY OF THE BACTERIOCINES OF ENTEROCOCCI. J Bacteriol. 1963 Oct;86:702–707. doi: 10.1128/jb.86.4.702-707.1963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- FREDERICQ P. Colicins. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1957;11:7–22. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.11.100157.000255. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- IVANOVICS G., ALFOLDI L. A new antibacterial principle: megacine. Nature. 1954 Sep 4;174(4427):465–465. doi: 10.1038/174465a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kuttner A. G., Krumwiede E. OBSERVATIONS ON THE EFFECT OF STREPTOCOCCAL UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS ON RHEUMATIC CHILDREN: A THREE-YEAR STUDY. J Clin Invest. 1941 May;20(3):273–287. doi: 10.1172/JCI101220. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- LAZARIDES P. D., BERNHEIMER A. W. Association of production of diphosphopyridine nucleotidase with serological type of group A Streptococcus. J Bacteriol. 1957 Sep;74(3):412–413. doi: 10.1128/jb.74.3.412-413.1957. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- RAMMELKAMP C. H., Jr, WEAVER R. S. Acute glomerulonephritis, the significance of the variations in the incidence of the disease. J Clin Invest. 1953 Apr;32(4):345–358. doi: 10.1172/JCI102745. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- RYAN F. J., FRIED P., MUKAI F. A colicin produced by cells that are sensitive to it. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1955 Sep;18(1):131–131. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(55)90016-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- SHERWOOD N. P., RUSSELL B. E. New antibiotic substances produced by beta hemolytic streptococci. J Infect Dis. 1949 Jan-Feb;84(1):88–91. doi: 10.1093/infdis/84.1.88. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- WILSON A. T. The leukotoxic action of streptococci. J Exp Med. 1957 May 1;105(5):463–484. doi: 10.1084/jem.105.5.463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]