Abstract
The effects of various enzymatic digestions on the infective activity of Myc. lepraemurium were investigated. Each enzyme powder was resolved to give a concentration of 0.2% in a 10% bacterial suspension, and was incubated for several hours with occasional agitation at 37°C in the bath.
The Kumamoto strain of Myc. lepraemurium was used for these experiments and the enzymes employed were as follows: trypsin, papain, ficin, diastase, lipase, protamylase, ribonuclease, pronase and lysozyme. One tenth ml of each bacterial suspension containing enzyme was subcutaneously inoculated in mice at 1, 3, and 5th hour after incubation, respectively. Mice tested were killed after 2 or 5 months of inoculation, and the infectious activities of the bacilli treated with enzyme were determined by microscopical examinations. The results.obtained demonstrated that Myc. lepraemurium was not inactivated by the treatment with trypsin, papain, ficin and diastase for five hours at 37°C, however, it was inactivated by other enzymes tested within five hours, especially lipase inactivated clearly the infectious activity of Myc.lepraemurium within three hours at 37°C. These results would contribute to the studies regarding to bacterial compositions and isolation procedureof this bacillus from the infected tissues.
