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. 1979 May;138(2):598–608. doi: 10.1128/jb.138.2.598-608.1979

Morphological and physiological study of autolytic-defective Streptococcus faecium strains.

D L Shungu, J B Cornett, G D Shockman
PMCID: PMC218217  PMID: 108262

Abstract

Three autolytic-defective mutants of Streptococcus faecium (S. faecalis ATCC 9790) were isolated. All three autolytic-defective mutants exhibited the following properties relative to the parental strain: (i) slower growth rates, especially in chemically defined medium; (ii) decreased rates of cellular autolysis and increased survival after exposure to antibiotics which block cell wall biosynthesis; (iii) decreased rates of cellular autolysis when treated with detergents, suspended in autolysis buffers, or grown in medium lacking essential cell wall precursors; (iv) a reduction in the total level of cellular autolytic enzyme (active plus latent forms of the enzyme); (v) an increased ratio of latent to active forms of autolysin; and (vi) increased levels of both cellular lipoteichoic acid and lipids.

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Selected References

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