Rs. Simmonds et al., MODE OF ACTION OF A LYSOSTAPHIN-LIKE BATERIOLYTIC AGENT PRODUCED BY STREPTOCOCCUS-ZOOEPIDEMICUS-4881, Applied and environmental microbiology, 62(12), 1996, pp. 4536-4541
Electron microscopy of zoocin A-treated sensitive streptococcus cells
revealed cytoplasmic disruption and ultimately complete rupture of the
cell wall. Culture viability and optical density were shown to decrea
se rapidly and simultaneously in Streptococcus pyogenes FF22 but less
quickly in the relatively more resistant Streptococcus mutans 10449. Z
oocin A was shown to cleave hexaglycine in a colorimetric cell-free mi
crotiter assay system, and it is concluded that the killing action of
zoocin A, like that of lysostaphin, is most probably the result of dir
ect cleavage of the peptidoglycan cross-links in the cell wall. The re
lationship between sensitivity to zoocin A and the peptidoglycan cross
-linkage structure of Streptococcus zooepidemicus, Lactococcus spp. S.
pyogenes, Streptococcus gordonii, Streptococcus oralis, S. mutans, an
d Streptococcus rattus has been evaluated.