Autolysis of Listeria monocytogenes
Popowska, M.; Kłoszewska, M.; Górecka, S.; Markiewicz, Z.
Acta Microbiologica Polonica 48(2): 141-152
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0137-1320 PMID: 10581670 Document Number: 511898
Physiological conditions that could provide maximal rates of autolysis of L. monocytogenes were examined. L. monocytogenes was refractory to most treatments that promote rapid autolysis in other bacteria. Best rates of autolysis were obtained after resuspending the cells in Tris-HCl buffer at 37 degrees C with pH optimum at 8. Autolysis was also efficiently promoted by the surfactant, Triton X-100. Antibiotics that interfered with the biosynthesis of the cell wall murein (peptidoglycan) caused death of the cells without autolysis after prolonged incubation in the presence of the drug. Only nisin, which has been shown to bind in vitro to the murein precursors lipid I and lipid II, resulted in autolysis of L. monocytogenes cells, although with slower kinetics than in the case of Tris-HCl and Triton.