Maheswaran SK, Lindorfer RK. Staphylococcal beta-hemolysin. II. Phospholipase C activity of purified beta-hemolysin.
J Bacteriol 1967;
94:1313-9. [PMID:
4964474 PMCID:
PMC276826 DOI:
10.1128/jb.94.5.1313-1319.1967]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Sheep erythrocyte ghosts released water-soluble organic phosphorus when treated with purified beta-hemolysin. Phospholipid analysis demonstrated that sphingomyelin accounted for 53% of the phospholipids present in sheep erythrocytes. Purified beta-hemolysin showed phospholipase C activity when purified ox brain or sheep erythrocyte sphingomyelin was used as substrate. Such studies have also revealed that the disappearance of sphingomyelin from the reaction mixture was accompanied by a comparable increase in the concentration of phosphoryl choline. Thin-layer chromatography of phospholipids, extracted from sheep erythrocytes which had been exposed to beta-hemolysin, demonstrated that sphingomyelin was rapidly degraded. Activators of beta-hemolysin, such as Mg(++), enhanced the release of organic phosphorus from erythrocyte ghosts and from sphingomyelin. Inhibitors of beta-hemolysin, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, p-chloromercuribenzoate, and iodoacetamide, also inhibited the release of organic phosphorus from erythrocyte ghosts and from sphingomyelin. These studies strongly suggested that beta-hemolysin enzymatically degraded the sphingomyelin of the erythrocyte membrane. Such degradation probably resulted in the eventual lysis of the erythrocyte.
Collapse