A new peptidoglycan hydrolase in<i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i>

Abstract

The use of a mutant of Streptococcus pneumoniae deleted in the lytA gene coding for the N-acetyl-muramyl-l-alanine amidase, and therefore devoid of any amidase, has allowed the identification of a new murein hydrolase activity in this bacterium. This enzyme (or enzymes) acted as an autolysin when the cultures were grown at 30°C. Our results strongly suggest that the new lytic activity corresponds to one or more glycosidases.