A rapid procedure to detect the autolysin phenotype in<i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i>

Abstract

A simple and rapid procedure to detect autolysin-defective mutants of Streptococcus pneumoniae has been developed. The autolysin gene (lyt) can be introduced into the appropriate receptor strain by genetic transformation and the transformants are readily detected on the surface of semisynthetic medium (C medium) plates by using a membrane filter. A pneumococcal autolysin mutation (lyt-4) behaved as a low-efficiency marker in genetic transformation.