Relationship of Catalase Activity to Virulence in Pasteurella pestis

Abstract

99blood serum. With abnormal spinal fluid such as those obtained from syphililtic patients, higher inhibition titers were obtained, as to be expected. Saliva gave definite inhibition though only in low titer, in conformity with the known presence in this secretion of small amounts of .serum globulin. Only doubtful reactions were obtained with normal human semen and urine.Experiments were also conducted )to determine the ability of animal sera to inhibit the anti-human-globulin serum. As shown in the table, serum from horse, ox! and rablbit had no apparent inhibiting action. Rhesus serum weakened the clumping, even when highly diluted, but did not inhibit the reaction completely. This indicates the presence in rhesus slerum of a serum globulin chemically related [to, though qualitatively differenlt from the globulins in human serum.Summary and conclusions. 1. A new serological method od demonstrating human serum globulin has been described, based on its ability to inhibit the agglutinating action of anti-human-globulin serum for Rh-positive human red cells coated with Rho univalent anhibody.2. Using this technic, further evidence was obtained that the Rh antibody coating sensitized Rh-positive cells is a serum globulin.3 . With the new technic it is possible to demonstrate the presence in normal spinal fluid, and in saliva of small amounts of serum globulin, in proportion #to the known concentration in these fluids. Normal human semen and urine failed to inhibit the antiglobulin serum.4. Umbilical cord serum inhibited anti-globulin serum to the same titer as adult serum.5. Serum from horse, ox and rabbit did not inhibit tihe ant i-human-globulin serum, while rhesus monkey serum merely weakened its reactions.6. The new technic may find application not only in clinical medilcine, but also in forensic work for the examination of bilood stains, and in studies on biochemical evolution.

Activation of macrophages in vivo and in vitro. Correlation between hydrogen peroxide release and killing of Trypanosoma cruzi.

“…Earlier workers observed that variations in the virulence of macrophage-parasitizing bacteria appeared to be linked to their resistance to H202. Thus, a positive correlation between virulence and catalase activity obtained for different isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis hominis (16), Pasteurella pestis (17), and Brucella (18,19). Isolates of M. tuberculosis displayed an inverse relation between virulence and sensitivity to H20~ in vitro (20,21).…”

Yersinia pestis--etiologic agent of plague.

“…"Catalase activity" in Y. pestis as measured by decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is high compared to that in a number of other bacteria (41). Rockenmacher (231) found a correlation between high "catalase activity" and virulence while Burrows et al (41) did not. Mehigh and Brubaker identified a ϳ70-kDa protein that bound hemin and had a modest catalase but no peroxidase or superoxide dismutase activities (175).…”

Metabolic Reactions of Pasteurella Pestis I

“…Certain other unrelated aspects of P. pestis metabolism have been described recently. The catalase content of this organism and its relation to virulence were studied in some detail by Rockenmacher (1949) and Avi-Dor and Yaniv (1952), and several aspects of its sulfur metabolism have been described by Englesberg (1952).…”