Coagulase Production, Mannitol Fermentation, Penicillinase Elaboration, and Phage Typability of Staphylococcus aureus Reverted from L-Phase Variants

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Abstract
Certain properties of Staphylococcus aureus which had reverted from L-phase variants were studied. L-phase variants of an S. aureus (phage group III) that produces coagulase, ferments mannitol, and elaborates penicillinase were induced by cycloserine, vancomycin, and methicillin. Reverted strains were obtained from L-phase variants after many passages on antibiotic-free agar. Upon reversion, none of the revertants. possessed all of the original characteristics of the parent S. aureus. Of the 22 strains studied, 11 failed to produce coagulase, the other 11 did not ferment mannitol, 16 did not elaborate penicillinase, and 15 were untypable. After passages in the laboratory for two years, all 22 strains were positive for production of coagulase, 11 were positive for fermentation of mannitol, 9 were positive for elaboration of penicillinase, and 16 were susceptible to group III phages. Thus, organisms which had reverted from the L-phase did not behave the same as their parent organism though some of the lost characteristics might return after many passages.

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