Some Properties of Autolysin of Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum

Abstract

A lytic enzyme activity (N-acetylmuramidase activity) was found in the supernatant fluid of an exponentially growing culture of Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum (ATCC 13564). The same enzyme activity was also found in the autolysate of the cells and the isolated crude cell walls. This enzyme was considered to be autolysin of C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum. This autolysin lysed the cell walls of C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum and some other clostridia, but whole cells and their glycan moiety hardly at all. Its optimum pH was about 4.5 and optimum temperature was about 35°C. Its molecular weight was 44, 000.