Immunochemical and Protein-Chemical Studies of Class I Fructose 1, 6-Diphosphate Aldolases from Staphylococci

The class I fructose 1,6-diphosphate aldolases of five staphylococcal strains were purified and characterized. All of these enzymes could be renatured to active structures after exposure to a temperature of 90°C. By using antisera against the enzymes, we measured the immunological cross-reactions by microcomplement fixation and activity inhibition. The amino acid compositions of the purified proteins were determined and compared. Our results provide further insight into the phylogenetical relationships among the staphylococcal species studied. Staphylococcus capitis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus warneri, and Staphylococcus haemolyticus form a group of highly related species. Staphylococcus aureus was shown to be closely related to this group, whereas all of the other staphylococcal species showed distant relationships. Staphylococcus sciuri subsp. sciuri and S. sciuri subsp. lentus occupy a rather isolated position within the genus Staphylococcus and are related to each other at the species level.