The drop-plate method of “simultaneous antagonism” used by others for the detection of bacteriocinogeny in group-A streptococci is unsuitable to differentiate the inhibitory action of true bacteriocines from that of peroxide produced by the test strains. Among 36 group-A streptococcal strains examined, 78 % displayed inhibitory activity on appropriate indicator strains but failed to do so when tested under anaerobic conditions or in the presence of catalase. Most of these strains were shown to give a positive peroxide test on heated blood agar, all of them released hydrogen peroxide during growth in aerated liquid cultures as measured quantitatively by polarography, and none of them lost its inhibitory effect in the presence of trypsin. No strains were encountered that, apart from bacteriophages, produced any catalase-stable, trypsin-sensitive inhibitory substances. For inhibitory effects to be considered to reflect the action of bacteriocines, it is therefore necessary to show that inhibition cannot be ascribed to the toxic effect of liberated peroxide.
McLeodJ. W.,
GordonJ.1923a; Catalase production and sensitiveness to hydrogen peroxide amongst bacteria, with a scheme of classification based on these properties. J. Path. Bact. 26:326
MalkeH.,
KohlerW.1973; Transduction among group A streptococci: trans-ducibility of strains representative of thirty different M types. Zentbl. Bakt. ParasitKde, Abt. Orig. 224:194
NobleR. C.,
VostiK.1971; Production of double zones of hemolysis by certain strains of hemolytic streptococci of group A, B, C, and G on heart infusion agar. Appl. Microbiol. 22:171
OverturfG. D.,
MortimerE. A.1970; Studies of the relationship between the production of bacteriocins by group A streptococci and acute glomerulonephritis. J. exp. Med. 132:694
SherwoodN. P.,
RussellB. E.,
JayA. R.,
BowmanK.1949; Studies on strepto cocci. III. New antibiotic substances produced by beta hemolytic streptococci. J. infect. Dis. 84:88
TaggJ. R.,
ReadR. S. D.,
McGivenA. R.1973; Bacteriocin of a group A strepto coccus: partial purification and properties. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 4:214
TotolyanA. A.,
KolesnichenkoT. G.1971; Bacteriocinogenic properties of hemo lytic streptococci, group A, of various serological types. Zh. Mikrobiol. Epidem. Immunobiol.y no. 8 70