Lysis of Human Pathogenic Bacteria by Myxobacteria

• DOI: 10.1038/175125a0
• Publication Date: 2006-10-26T14:17:48Z
• Authors: S. MATHEW; A. DUDANI
• Keywords: Myxobacteria; Proteolytic enzymes; Pathogenic bacteria; Lytic cycle

ALTHOUGH great interest has been taken in recent years in isolating antibiotics from various groups of micro-organisms, Myxobacteria have received so far very little attention. Several workers have reported the lysis of bacteria (Eubacteria) by species of Myxobaeteria; but no satisfactory evidence has been produced that living cells are attacked. It has been shown by Singh1, who used a large number of strains of bacteria, that certain species of Myxococcaceae undoubtedly cause lysis of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative living bacteria upon solid media. Oxford and Singh2 and Oxford3 have shown that a strain of Myxococcus virescens growing on cell-free medium is able to produce two substances, an exo-cellular lytic (proteolytic) enzyme and an antibiotic. Noren4 has confirmed and extended this work to other species of Myxobacteria and has devised more suitable media for the production of the proteolytic enzyme and the antibiotic. The present work deals with the lysis of human pathogenic bacteria by two species of Myxococcus.