PRODUCTION OF BACTERIOLYTIC ENZYMES AS A TOOL FOR CHARACTERIZING ENTEROCOCCI

Bacteriolytic enzymes secreted by log-phase cultures of enterococci (E nterococcus faecalis, Ent. faecium, Ent. durans, Ent. hirae, Ent. cass eliflavus, Ent. avium, Ent. mundtii) were analysed by means of a zymog ram technique to resolve activities according to the size of their pol ypeptide component and their specificities towards different substrate s. Heterogeneous patterns of lytic activity were observed with differe nt species. For each test substrate, homogeneous patterns of lytic act ivities were observed with strains of the same species, except for Ent . faecalis strains, which showed heterogeneous lytic patterns even tow ards the same substrate, and could be divided into at least four diffe rent groups according to their lytic pattern. No lytic activity was co mmon to all strains tested. Results of zymogram analysis of Enterococc us bacteriolytic enzymes were consistent with current knowledge on ent erococcal taxonomy, indicating that this analytical approach may be a useful tool for fine-tuned characterization of different enterococcal strains.