Effect of cerulenin on the production of alpha-lysin by Staphylococcus aureus Wood 46

This investigation was started with the intention of determining whether the secretion of haemolysins by Staphylococcus aureus took place in accordance with the signal hypothesis of Blobel and Dobberstein (1975 a,b). Before embarking on the main object of the investigation, various studies were made on the production and purification of the alpha-haemolysin of S.aureus Wood 46. The production of alpha-, beta- and delta-haemolysins and protease(s) by S.aureus Wood 46 was biphasic, in agreement with the published data (Duncan and Cho, 1971; McNiven and Arbuthnott, 1972). Purified alphalysin prepared by ammonium sulphate precipitation, chromatography on controlled-pore glass and electrofocusing had a pI of 8.5, a specific haemolytic activity of 1.63 x 10