Abstract
Pneumococci in which the choline component of the cell wall teichoic acid was replaced by ethanolamine contain an abnormal autolytic enzyme that has a low molecular weight and low activity in contrast to the enzyme typical of choline-containing bacteria that has a high molecular weight and high activity. The abnormal autolysin can be converted to the normal (cholinetype) enzyme by incubation in vitro with choline-containing cell walls.
Keywords: cell wall, lysis, enzyme activation
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Selected References
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