Streptococcus Faecalis Var Research Articles

Effects of a bacteriocin produced by Streptococcus faecalis var. zymogenes (E1) on susceptible microorganisms.

The bacteriocin produced by Streptococcus faecalis var. zymogenes (E-1) is most active against Diplococcus pneumoniae and least against other strains of S. faecalis. Clostridium perfringens showed an intermediate susceptibility to the active principle. By utilizing the gas production of C. perfringens as an indicator of metabolic activity, a decrease in sensitivity to bacteriocin was demonstrated with aging of the culture. Non-viable pinpoint clostridial colonies frequently developed by exposure of C. perfringens to a 2 or 3 hr old E-1 broth culture. The action of E-1 as studied on C. perfringens appears to be bactericidal and only partially bacteriolytic. The extent of E-1 bactericidal activity on susceptible D. pneumoniae, C. perfringens, and S. faecalis was shown to be dependent upon bacteriocin concentration.

Relation Between Bacteriocin Production and Virulence of Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens

Eight strains of Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens were classified as bacteriocin producing or nonproducing on the basis of their effect on microbial L-forms. Four strains produced bacteriocin, and four did not. There was a significant association between bacteriocin production and ability to produce hematogenous pyelonephritis in the rat.

Transmission of bacteriocinogenicity by conjugation in group D streptococci.

Seventy-seven out of eighty-one group D streptococcal strains isolated from humans and animals were found to produce bacteriocins that were active on other streptococcal strains of gorup A and D, but inactive on their own cells. On the bases of the spectra of indicator strains, and the sensitivities to heat, chloroform, and trypsin, seven types of bacteriocins were classified. Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens strain 4532 or strain A (liq-A) was UV-irradiated, and mutants which lost bacteriocin- as well as the β-hemolysin-forming activities (Bact–.Hem–) were obtained. Cells of the type I bacteriocin producer (SMr.TCr.Bact-I+.Hem+) and nonproducer 2025 (PCr.Bact-I–.Hem–), both belonging to S. faecalis var. liquefaciens, were mixed and incubated in broth. Recombinants (PCr.-SMs.TCs.Bact-I+.Hem+) were obtained at a high frequency (5.8% preinoculum size of PCr.-Bact-I–.Hem–), and the character was stable for at least ten transfers. In the mixed culture, a marked decrease in the recipient 2025 cell number was observed. The occurrence of recombinants was not inhibited by deoxyribonuclease. A cell-free filtrate of Bact+.Hem+ cells mixed with Bact–.Hem– cells did pot cause a mutation of the latter combined characters. The transfer of a genetic marker is discussed as an event of the cell-to-cell contact.

Glycerophosphoryl diglucosyl diglyceride, a new phosphoglycolipid from Streptococci

1. 1. From Streptococcus faecalis var. faecalis, Streptococcus faecalis var. zymogenes, and Streptococcus hemolyticus (serogroup A) the more polar phosphoglycolipids were isolated. They were chromatographically identical and contained lucose, glycerol, fatty acid ester, and phosphate in a molar ratio of 2:2:2: I. 2. 2. The structure of all three compounds was shown to be 1(3)-O-[6''-(snglycero-1-phosphoryl)-2'-O-(α- d-glucopyranosyl)-α- d-glucopyranosyl]-diglyceride . The sn-glycerol- I-phosphate residue is heretofore unique in bacterial phosphoglycolipids. 3. 3. The deacylated core was studied by periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, alkaline hydrolysis, and enzymatic degradation. The location of the acyl groups was established by periodate oxidation and Smith degradation as well as by cleavage of the phosphodiester with HF (60%). 4. 4. The fatty acid composition was such as known for Lactobacillaceae. In the phosphoglucolipid from S. hemolyticus the fatty acids were randomly distributed, whereas the compounds from S. faecalis showed positional specificity with preference for longer-chain fatty acids in Position I and for shorter-chain fatty acids in Position 2 of the glycerol moiety. 5. 5. Methods are given for the determination of Smith degradation products and polyolphosphates by gas-liquid chromatography.

Antibody Responses in Germ‐Free Chickens to Bacteria Isolated from Various Sources

ABSTRACTThe germ‐free chickens were mono‐ or dicontaminated with various species of facultative anaerobes and obligate anaerobes isolated from chickens, humans, pigs, and fermentation products, and their sera were studied for agglutinins against these organisms. After contamination, gnotobiotic chickens developed relatively high titers of agglutinins against Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens from a chicken and obligate anaerobes such as Bifidobacterium thermophilum (strain T 111), Bacteroides sp. (Au 21–27), and Fusobacterium (Sphaerophorus) sp. (EBF 59/96p) from chickens, Bacteroides sp. (A 269–5) from a human, and B. thermophilum (P 2–91) and Fusobacterium (Sphaerophorus) sp. (PNC 2–23) from pigs. On the contrary, little or no detectable agglutinins were observed against Bacteroides sp. (Ch 220–17) from a chicken, Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Bifidobacterium bifidum from humans and Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum from fermentation products. Anti‐Escherichia coli agglutinins were sensitive to 2‐mercaptoethanol, but anti‐B. thermophilum agglutinins were not.

Tolerance of staphylococcal thermonuclease to stress.

Remarkable tolerance to prolonged heating, prolonged storage, and bacterial proliferation was exhibited by staphylococcal thermonuclease in foods and broth. A purified enzyme preparation added to Brain Heart Infusion broth was unaffected by the growth of five bacterial species. Minimal inactivation was effected by Bacillus subtilis. Optimal growth of Streptococcus faecalis var. liquifaciens caused extensive inactivation of thermonuclease. However, storage at room temperature or the addition of 5% NaCl caused only minimal inactivation.

Establishment of microorganisms isolated from chickens in the digestive tract of germ-free chickens.

Germ-free chickens were monocontaminated or dicontaminated with microorganisms isolated from the cecal contents and feces of chickens. In the case of monocontamination, the viable number of organisms in the alimentary tract considerably varied depending on the species or genus. Staphylococcus epidennidis. Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens and Escherichia coli became established in much larger numbers in germ-free chickens than in ordinary birds. While Bifidobacterium thermophilum and Catenabacterium sp. were unable to become established, other anaerobic organisms and a strain of yeast became established almost at the same level as in the ordinary microflora. Anaerobic non-sporeforming gram-positive rods (AR), which were occasionally found in the ordinary chickens, were always well established throughout the gut of monocontaminated birds. In the case of dicontamination, the numbers of S. epidermidis, Catenabacterium sp. and B. thermophilum were comparable to those in the ordinary microflora. Growth of S. epidermidis was suppressed by E. coli. Catenabacterium sp. and B. thermophilum became well established when given in combination with other bacteria, except that the establishment of B. thermophilum in combination with Catenabacterium sp. was irregular. Growth of AR was prevented when administered together with E. coli. On the other hand, the numbers of E. coli and S. faecalis var. liquefaciens were continuously large even in the presence of any other bacterium.

Pathogenesis of Hepatic Granulomas in Turkeys Infected with Streptococcus faecalis var. Liquefaciens

Pathogenesis of Hepatic Granulomas in Turkeys Infected with Streptococcus faecalis var. Liquefaciens

Tolerance of Staphylococcal Thermonuclease to Stress

Remarkable tolerance to prolonged heating, prolonged storage, and bacterial proliferation was exhibited by staphylococcal thermonuclease in foods and broth. A purified enzyme preparation added to Brain Heart Infusion broth was unaffected by the growth of five bacterial species. Minimal inactivation was effected by Bacillus subtilis. Optimal growth of Streptococcus faecalis var. liquifaciens caused extensive inactivation of thermonuclease. However, storage at room temperature or the addition of 5% NaCl caused only minimal inactivation.

Specific establishment of lactobacilli in the digestive tract of germ-free chickens.

Establishment of lactobacilli in the digestive tract of germ-free chicks was studied using the organisms isolated from chickens, human infants and sour milk and those received from the American Type Culture Collection. In the case of monocontamination, intestinal lactobacilli such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. salivarius and L. fermenti except L. acidophilus ATCC 4356 and non-intestinal lactobacilli such as L. plantarum and L. casei were well established in the digestive tract of germ-free chicks regardless of their origins, although the bacterial numbers of the established strains varied considerably in different parts of the gut. On the contrary, L. acidophilus ATCC 4356 of human origin and L. jugurti, L. helveticus and L. brevis which originated from non-intestinal materials failed to be established in the gut of germ-free chicks. In the case of dicontamination, L. acidophilus from an infant was shown to disappear after administration together with Escherichia coli or L. salivarius from chickens. L. plantarum and L. casei disappeared or showed a suppressed growth in the presence of L. acidophilus or Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens from chickens.

Purification and Characterization of a Protease Produced by Streptococcus Faecalis Var. Liquefaciens

Abstract An extracellular protease produced by Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens has been purified 535 fold by standard purification procedures. The homogeneity of the enzyme preparation was...

Characteristics of a Bacteriocin Derived from Streptococcus faecalis var. zymogenes Antagonistic to Diplococcus peumoniae

A bacteriocin-producing strain of Streptococcus faecalis var. zymogenes (E-1) was isolated from clinical material (conjunctiva). The active substance differed from bacteriocins described by other investigators primarily in its spectrum of antibacterial activity, especially by its marked inhibition of Diplococcus pneumoniae. The E-1 bacteriocin also inhibited nonhemolytic strains of enterococci as well as one-third of the Viridans group of streptococcal strains investigated. The degree of inhibition, however, as indicated by the size of the zones against the latter organisms, was significantly reduced. No activity was detected against any of the strains belonging to the following groups of bacteria: hemolytic enterococci, beta-hemolytic streptococci, nonhemolytic streptococci, staphylococci, and various gram-negative species. Similarly, three strains each of Bacillus cereus and Listeria monocytogenes and one strain of Erysipelothrix insidiosa were not inhibited. The bacteriocin was able to diffuse through bacterial membranes as well as cellulose dialyzer tubing. It was inactivated by heating to 80 C for 20 min but resisted inactivation by either trypsin or chloroform.

LIPOLYTIC AND PROTEOLYTIC ACTIVITY OF ENTEROCOCCI AND LACTIC GROUP STREPTOCOCCI ISOLATED FROM YOUNG CHEDDAR CHEESE

Lipolytic and proteolytic screening techniques were applied to cultures isolated from young Cheddar cheese manufactured in 10 Iowa cheese plants. Twenty-one cultures were selected for study. These included 16 enterococci and 5 lactic group streptococci. These strains were examined for lipolytic activity when grown in skimmilk, cream, and skimmilk containing tributyrin; changes in proteolysis index, plate counts, and pH in skimmilk incubated at 7, 15, 21, and 32 C also were determined, And, combinations of enterococci and lactic streptococci were studied.One-half of the Streptococcus durans strains frequently produced as much as 10 times more acetic acid than the others; the five strains of lactic streptococci consistently produced the lowest quantities of acetic acid. Compared with enterococci, except for Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens, the lactic streptococci were more proteolytic, produced lower pH values, and had less viability at 15, 21, and 32 C. Enterococci other than S. faecalis var. liquefaciens were not proteolytic. All cultures showed tributyrinase activity; enterococci were the most active. Combining enterococci and lactic streptococci produced anomalous results.

The Induction of Bacteriophage-Neutralizing Antibody by Mouse Spleen Immunogenic RNA

Abstract RNA extracted from the spleens of Swiss Webster mice immunized with bacteriophage 81a, which infects Streptococcus faecalis var. zymogenes, induced the formation of specific phage-neutralizing antibody when added to nonimmune mouse spleen fragments in culture. Antibody formation could be elicited by the addition of immunogenic RNA derived from one inbred mouse strain to nonimmune spleen fragments from other inbred mouse strains. The activity of immunogenic RNA was inhibited by treatment with RNase, but not by DNase, trypsin, amylase or moderate amounts of pronase. The active RNA sedimented in the lightest fraction of a 5% to 20% linear sucrose gradient, and was estimated to have an average sedimentation coefficient of 8.2 S by analytical ultracentrifugation.

Carbon dioxide fixation by extracts of Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens.

Extracts of cells of Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens strain 31 incorporated (14)CO(2) into aspartate. Dialyzed extracts produced radioactive oxalacetate in the absence of exogenously added glutamate and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate and produced radioactive aspartate in the presence of these components. Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide or reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate could not be substituted for adenosine triphosphate (ATP); phosphoenolpyruvate even in the presence of nucleoside diphosphates could not replace pyruvate plus ATP; propionate plus coenzyme A (CoA) could not replace pyruvate in supporting CO(2) fixation by cell extracts. Fixation by dialyzed cell extracts required pyruvate, ATP, MgSO(4), and was stimulated by biotin, KCl, 2-mercaptoethanol, CoA, and acetyl CoA. Inhibition of fixation occurred when avidin, NaCl, oxalacetate, or aspartate was added to dialyzed extracts. On the basis of the products formed and the effects of substrates and cofactors on the fixation reaction, it was concluded that pyruvate carboxylase is responsible for CO(2) fixation in this microorganism.

Failure of some bacterial enzymes to increase decalcification and permeability of enamel exposed to lactic acid.

In the pathogenesis of dental caries, it is conceivable that certain bacterial enzymes are responsible for the production of acid. Enzymes may also be involved in the incipient formation of the caries lesion through their action on the organic component on the enamel, thereby increasing its permeability and weakening its resistance to acids (STEINMAN: J Dent Res 39: 150, 1960). However, until we have improved our knowledge of enzymic activity in the caries plaque, and also of the properties of the organic material in enamel, any inquiry into the effect of enzymes on this tissue is limited. The purpose of this study was to discover whether certain enzymes produced by bacteria known to be present in the caries plaque significantly increase the rate of decalcification and the permeability of the enamel. Eight young, contralateral pairs of teeth were cleaned, and the crowns were covered with wax, except for one or two windows about 2 to 3 mm in diameter on each crown. The root of each tooth was connected with a polyvinyl tube to a glass capillary 35 cm in length. The tube and the capillary were filled with saline solution and mounted vertically to produce a hydrostatic pressure of 25 mm Hg in the pulp. In order to avoid bacterial growth in the pulp, 0.1% thimerosal (Merthiolate) was added to the solution in the capillary. The waxed crown was disinfected in 5% chloramine and rinsed in distilled water. Oral strains of Streptococcus faecalis var zymogenes (174/60) and caries inducing streptococci E-49 and BHt-51 chosen from the strains that are kept lyophilized in the laboratory. The microorganism was cultivated in a special medium. At the end of the incubation period, the medium was centrifuged at 20.000 X g for 20 minutes. The proteolytic activity in the supernatant was determined according to a method by Hultin (Svensk Kem Tid 60:40, 1946). Only S faecalis var zymogenes produced large amounts of extracellular proteolytic enzymes.

Effect of carbon dioxide on the aspartic acid requirement for proteinase biosynthesis by Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens.

Non-proliferating cells of Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens required aspartic acid for proteinase biosynthesis in the absence of CO(2) but not in the presence of CO(2).

Hydrolytic Breakdown of Casein by a Proteinase of Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens

An extracellular proteinase of a strain of Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens (SFL-811) was isolated and purified 193-fold through ammonium sulfate fractionation and gel filtration on Sephadex G-75. The proteinase hydrolyzed casein with the liberation of dialyzable and nondialyzable breakdown products that were soluble in 12% trichloroacetic acid. Approximately 80% of the hydrolytic products were lost upon exhaustive dialysis. The products of casein hydrolysis were partially resolved by gel filtration on Sephadex G-25 and by paper electrophoresis. The proteinase of SFL-811 was much less active againts two other milk proteins, lactoglobulin and lactalbumin, than it was against casein.

Catabolite repression and feedback inhibition of protease in Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens.

Five amino acids, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, and valine, specifically and individually repressed the formation of the extracellular protease of Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens. Neither the protease itself, nor the synthesis of β-galactosidase, nor the growth of the organism was affected adversely by the presence of these amino acids. Several di- and tri-peptides containing these inhibitory amino acids also specifically repressed proteinase biosynthesis.Proline is involved in the feedback inhibition of the protease.

Interactive Phenomena among Bacteria of Dairy Origin

Interactive phenomena among pairs of microorganisms were studied by overlapping drop pairs of the species on nutrient agar plates over a 103-fold range of concentration. Changes in the number and size of the colonies in and beyond the zone of overlap were recorded after incubation for 24–48 hours at 32C. Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas fragi, and Alcaligenes viscolactis had no visible effect on coliform bacteria and certain species of Micrococcus, Serratia, Sarcina, and Gaffkya. The inhibitory action of Escherichia coli and Aerobacter aerogenes was limited to a partial or complete reduction of growth of the test species in the zone of overlap and seemed independent of the concentration of the test species. Mutual inhibition was evident when Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens or Streptococcus faecalis was tested against E. coli, A. aerogenes, or Serratia marcescens. The extent of inhibition of each species depended on the ratio of concentrations of the species in the drop pair. The partial to complete and diffusible inhibition of Micrococcus flavus, Micrococcus candidus, Micrococcus freudenreichii, Sarcina flava, and Gaffkya tetragena by certain concentrations of S. faecalis var. liquefaciens, S. faecalis, and S. marcescens, seemed to be affected by the concentration of the test species.