Susceptibility of Several Microorganisms to Milk Lysozymes,

Several Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were found to be susceptible to different degrees to purified bovine milk and human milk lysozymes. Sodium chloride accelerated the lysis of both live and ultraviolet-killed cells of Micrococcus lysodeikticus and Sarcina lutea by the two milk lysozymes, ttowever, the lysis of other bacteria sensitive to the Iysozymes was impaired by sodium chloride. In general, ethylenediaminetetraacetate augmented the lysis of both live and ultraviolet-killed cells of Bacillus subtiIis by bovine milk lysozyme and that of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by both bovine and human milk lysozymes. However, the lysis of other sensitive bacteria, under the same conditions of assay, was depressed by ethytenediaminete~raacetate.