Coordinate Production of Three Exoenzymes by Staphylococcus staphylolyticus

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Abstract
S. staphylolyticus produced 3 exoenzymes (a staphylolytic endopeptidase, a hexosaminidase and a protease) coordinately under a range of conditions of induction and repression by various peptides and carbohydrates. Mutants of S. staphylolyticus were isolated and shown to have pleiotropic variations in the production of the 3 enzymes. Hypo- or hyperproducing mutants of 1 enzyme were invariably hypo- or hyperproducers for the other 2 enzymes. Mutants that had lost the ability to produce 1 of the exoenzymes invariably failed to produce the other 2 enzymes. Revertants isolated from non-producers that regained the ability to produce 1 of the exoenzymes always regained the ability to produce the other 2 as well. The 3 exoenzymes apparently share a common regulatory or processing mechanism.