ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY IN THE CELOMOCYTES OF THE SEA-URCHIN PARACENTROTUS-LIVIDUS

Naturally present antibacterial activity directed against Vibrio algin olyticus was demonstrated in coelomocytes lysate (CL) and cell-free co elomic fluid (CF) of the marine echinoderm Paracentrotus lividus. Kine tic analysis revealed that 5 min of contact was enough to induce signi ficant bactericidal effect. Maximum activity required 30 min of contac t. Nonsensitive to the effect of trypsin, the activity was almost comp letely suppressed by incubation with subtilisin. Purified from CL by t hree successive steps of chromatography (gel filtration, anion exchang e, reverse phase), active antibacterial protein appeared as a single p olypeptide chain of approximate molecular weight of 60 kDa.