ELECTROPHORETIC ANALYSIS OF HYDROLYTIC ENZYMES OF ESCHERICHIA-COLI-CELLS STARVED IN SEAWATER AND DRINKING-WATER - COMPARISON OF GELATINOLYTIC, CASEINOLYTIC, PHOSPHOHYDROLYTIC AND HYALURONOLYTIC ACTIVITIES

Starvation of four Escherichia coil clinical strains in seawater and d rinking water for nine days revealed that various changes of hydrolyti c enzymes were induced. Several gelatinolytic and caseinolytic activit ies differing in mol mass were detected both in seawater and drinking water starved cells by substrate gel electrophoresis. The major activi ties of gelatinase migrated with mol masses of similar to 170 kDa and similar to 45 kDa. On the contrary, hyaluronolytic acitivies were dete cted only in cells cultured in Mueller Hinton broth with average mol m asses of 36 kDa and 45 kDa. Acid and alkaline hposphohydrolytic activi ties were detected by native electrophoresis. Both activities were dec reased in number of bands in E. coli cells starved either in seawater or drinking water.