Abnormal autolytic enzyme in a pneumococus with altered teichoic acid composition.
Academic Article
Overview
abstract
Pneumococci in which the choline component of the cell wall teichoic acid was replaced by ethanolamine contain an abnormal autolytic enzyme that has a low molecular weight and low activity in contrast to the enzyme typical of choline-containing bacteria that has a high molecular weight and high activity. The abnormal autolysin can be converted to the normal (cholinetype) enzyme by incubation in vitro with choline-containing cell walls.