AbstractsBiology & Animal Science

In his studies on the isolated cell envelope or a marine pseudomonad, Brown (1960, 1961) observed decreases in the turbidity or suspensions or the cell envelopes when these were incubated at low buffer concentrations. Turbidity changes did not take place when the buffer concentration was increased. These decreases in turbidity or the cell envelope suspensions he interpreted to being due to degradation or the cell envelopes. A number or soluble products were released when the cell envelopes were incubated. The nature or these suggested to Brown that their release was due to the action or an enzyme. Since the release or these compounds was prevented by high buffer concentration, Brown suggested that lysis of the whole cells was due to the action of an enzyme residing in the cell envelope. Prevention of lysis of the whole cells by high salt concentration would then be due to the inhibition by salts of the action of a lytic enzyme.