Lysozyme

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Abstract
Lysozyme, the virtually ubiquitous bacteriolytic enzyme discovered by Alexander Fleming over half a century ago,1 has been the subject of extensive physicochemical, physiologic and clinical investigation,2 but its full biologic implications are still incompletely defined. There is increasing evidence that this enzyme is a major constituent of both granulocytes and macrophages and presumably an important mediator of the complex and diverse functions of these cells. A critical question, however, is whether its functions are exclusively antibacterial or whether this low-molecular-weight, cationic protein also has specific enzymatic or polycation effects on polysaccharides of mammalian cells and their membranes. Some morphologic evidence . . .