The lipolytic activity of Micrococcaceae from human and animal sources.

Abstract

SUMMARY Gram-positive, catalase-positive cocci from man and animals were examined for lipolytic action in egg-yolk glucose broth and on various Tween compounds. The reaction in egg-yolk glucose broth was given by some coagulase-positive staphylococci but not by any of the coagulase-negative strains. The cultures producing this reaction also attacked all the Tween compounds. In addition, nearly all egg-yolk negative, coagulase-positive staphylococci attacked Tween 20 and a number—particularly members of the 52, 52A, 80, 81 complex of phage-typing patterns—also attacked the longer-chained Tweens. The egg-yolk factor appeared to be antigenically distinct from the lipases that acted on Tween compounds, and from α-lysin. Among the coagulase-negative cocci, the results showed broad differences between human and animal strains. Most of the human strains were staphylococci and were strongly lipolytic, whereas most of the strains from animals were micrococci and were feebly lipolytic.