scholarly journals STUDIES OF L FORMS AND PROTOPLASTS OF GROUP A STREPTOCOCCI

1959 ◽  
Vol 110 (6) ◽  
pp. 853-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Earl H. Freimer ◽  
Richard M. Krause ◽  
Maclyn McCarty

L forms of Group A streptococci have been isolated by the use of penicillin gradient agar plates. Osmotically fragile protoplasts of Group A streptococci have been obtained by the use of Group C phage-associated lysin which lyses Group A streptococci and their isolated cell walls. Membranes surrounding these enzymatically derived protoplasts have been isolated, and chemical and immunological studies indicate that they are free of cell wall carbohydrate and M protein. The streptococcal protoplasts reproduce as colonies which are morphologically indistinguishable from streptococcal L forms. Evidence is presented to show that these two streptococcal derivatives are serologically and physiologically related to each other as well as to the parent streptococcal strain from which they were isolated.

1968 ◽  
Vol 127 (3) ◽  
pp. 489-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent A. Fischetti ◽  
John B. Zabriskie

Evidence has been presented that Group C bacteriophages differ as to their inactivating site on the streptococcal cell wall. While all three phages adsorb to isolated cell walls, only the C1 phage was inactivated by enzymatically prepared group-specific carbohydrate. None of the Group C phages were inactivated by chemically extracted group-specific carbohydrate. In contrast, all virulent Group A streptococcal bacteriophages adsorbed only to living Group A streptococci. However, Group A temperate phages were able to adsorb to isolated cell walls but not to group-specific carbohydrate. While it has not been possible to identify the specific inactivating substance for the Group A virulent phages, certain pieces of evidence indirectly implicate the group-specific carbohydrate, specifically the N-acetylglucosamine moiety. The fact that Group A virulent phages failed to adsorb to heat-killed Group A streptococcal cells suggests that additional factors produced by the living cell are needed for complete viral inactivation.


1952 ◽  
Vol 96 (6) ◽  
pp. 569-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maclyn McCarty

Cell wall preparations of uniform chemical constitution have been obtained from several strains of group A streptococci. The isolated cell walls are dissolved by the same fractions of the Streptomyces albus enzymes that are effective in the lysis of intact cells, and it is likely that enzymatic lysis of group A streptococci is effected by an attack on the cell wall. The streptococcal cell wall, as prepared in this study, consists of approximately two-thirds carbohydrate and one-third protein. Small amounts of other components may be present. The carbohydrate component, which is composed primarily of N-acetyl-glucosamine and rhamnose, is the group-specific C carbohydrate. The evidence indicates that one of the streptomyces enzymes is directed toward the carbohydrate component of the cell wall.


1957 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. Krause

The host ranges of bacteriophages for group A, types 1, 6, 12, and 25 and group C streptococci have been determined. The findings indicate that the susceptibility to these phages is primarily a group-specific phenomenon, although it is modified by several factors such as the hyaluronic acid capsule, lysogeny, and possibly the presence of surface proteins. Phage antibody studies indicate that while the group A phages are antigenically related, they are distinct from the group C phage. This is in agreement with the observation that group A phages are not specific for their homologous streptococcal types. The purified group C carbohydrate inactivates group C phage but not the group A phages, thus suggesting that the carbohydrate, a component of the cell wall, may serve as the phage receptor site. It has not been possible to inactivate the group A phages with group A carbohydrate. Phage lysis of groups A and C streptococci is accompanied by fragmentation of the cell wall since the C carbohydrate has been identified serologically and chemically in the supernate of centrifuged lysates. The immediate lysis of groups A and C hemolytic streptococci and their isolated cell walls by an accesory heat-labile lytic factor in fresh group C lysates is also described.


2001 ◽  
Vol 293 (4) ◽  
pp. 165-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean W. Brown ◽  
B. S. Baker ◽  
J.-M. Ovigne ◽  
Vincent A. Fischetti ◽  
Catherine Hardman ◽  
...  

1965 ◽  
Vol 122 (5) ◽  
pp. 877-890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiri Rotta ◽  
Thomas J. Prendergast ◽  
Walter W. Karakawa ◽  
Charles K. Harmon ◽  
Richard M. Krause

The streptococcal cell wall mucopeptide when injected into mice either intraperitoneally or intravenously enhances the resitance to subsequent challenge with virulent Group A streptococci. Rabbits which are injected intravenously with solubilized mucopeptide develop a fever response which has a resemblance to that achieved with endotoxin. Mice which survive 6 to 7 weeks after challenge with virulent Group A streptococci yield at autopsy search Group A streptococci serologically identical to the challenge organisms. A preparative dose of cell walls injected into mice prior to challenge diminished this late recovery of streptococci. Group A-variant streptococci were recovered from mice which survived challenge and carried the organisms for several weeks. Filterable bacterial forms, which grew on L form media, were recovered from infected mice. The serologic type of the L forms was identical to that of the challenge organisms.


1957 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
John T. Sharp ◽  
W. Hijmans ◽  
L. Dienes

Two strains of L forms of group A streptococci were examined for group-specific polysaccharide and found to lack this substance. One of these was found to make a substance that had several properties in common with M protein. It is suggested that the absence of the cell wall polysaccharide is responsible for the lack of rigidity of the L form and that the L form of this species closely resembles protoplasts as prepared from other species.


1969 ◽  
Vol 129 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. H. Ohanian ◽  
J. H. Schwab ◽  
W. J. Cromartie

Mice injected intraperitoneally with isolated cell wall fragments of Group A streptococci develop a carditis similar to that previously observed in mice injected with crude extracts of this organism. Neither the soluble cytoplasmic components of Group A streptococcal cells nor the nonfragmented cell walls produced carditis in this experimental model. Fluorescein and 125I-labeled antibodies specific for Group A streptococcal cell wall antigens were used to demonstrate that, for 5 wk after injection, cell wall material is localized around the sites of active lesions in the heart. In addition, the cell wall antigen accumulates in the liver, spleen, mediastinal lymph nodes, and the adjacent loose connective tissue, where it persists for at least 10 wk.


1972 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Read ◽  
R. W. Reed

The replicative events of a virulent phage (A25) infection of a group A Streptococcus (T253) were studied using the electron microscope. The first intracellular evidence of phage replication in a cell occurred 30 min after infection with arrest of cell division and increase in the nucleic acid pool. Phage heads were evident in the nucleic acid pool of the cells 45 min after infection. Release of phages occurred by splitting of the cell wall along discrete lines. This appeared to be at sites of active wall synthesis, i.e., near the region of septum formation. Many phage components were released but relatively few complete phages indicating a relatively inefficient replicative system.


Vaccine ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 29 (46) ◽  
pp. 8175-8178 ◽  
Author(s):  
James B. Dale ◽  
Thomas A. Penfound ◽  
Edna Y. Chiang ◽  
William J. Walton

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