SUMMARYTwo phospholipase enzymes have been identified in toxic preparations from Staphylococcus aureus, each having a mode of action like that of phospholipase C. One enzyme hydrolysed phosphatidyl inositol and lysophosphatidyl inositol, while the other hydrolysed sphingomyelin and lysophosphatidyl choline. The latter enzyme was always associated with /I-haemolysin activity and it is concluded that P-haemolysin, sphingomyelinase and lysophospholipase are activities of one protein. A phospholipase A was also detected in a toxic preparation from an ap strain.
SYNOPSIS Sheep red cells, sensitized with a genus-specific leptospiral substance extracted from a water leptospira, were preserved by freeze drying. The serological reactivity of the preparation was tested against a total of 41 sera from proven cases of human leptospirosis and 27 from proven cases of animal leptospirosis. The sensitized, freeze-dried red cells appeared to be a sensitive reagent for the detection of leptospiral antibodies by haemagglutination. The use of this reagent as a screening test for leptospiral diagnosis is discussed. In the reported haemagglutination test on human and rabbit antisera the findings suggested that only IgM (19S) antibodies took part in the reaction.
SUMMARYFifty per cent ethanol treatment removed most of the outer envelope of serotype bzjlexa, strain Patoc I. The trilaminar outer envelope was recovered from the 5 0 % ethanol supernatant by raising the ethanol concentration to 90% (v/v).Five and even seven layers in the outer envelopes were seen. The 90 % ethanol precipitate contained the erythrocyte-sensitizing substance (ESS). An anti-ESS serum was reactive in leptospiral agglutination, haemagglutination and in Ouchterlony's double diffusion tests. Electron microscopic examination revealed the presence of stripping and agglutination of stripped or unstripped outer envelopes of healthy Patoc I cells in the presence of anti-ESS serum. The 90 % ethanol precipitate of Patoc I organisms contained polysaccharide, lipid, protein, amino sugars and 16 different amino acids. The suggestion that the genus-specific leptospiral erythrocyte-sensitizing substance is, or is associated with, the outer envelope of strain Patoc I is discussed.
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