Occurrence of Catalase in Pleuropneumonia-Like Organisms and Bacterial L Forms

Weibull, C. (Central Bacteriological Laboratory of Stockholm City, Stockholm, Sweden) and Kerstin Hammarberg. Occurrence of catalase in pleuropneumonia-like organisms and bacterial L forms. J. Bacteriol. 84:520-525. 1962.-The catalase activity of six pleuropneumonia-like organisms (PPLO), four stable Proteus L forms, and four normal strains of Proteus mirabilis was determined quantitatively. The PPLO (strains of the species Mycoplasma agalactiae, hominis, laidlawii, mycoides, and strains isolated from tissue cultures) exhibited no measurable catalase activity. The L forms decomposed H(2)O(2) approximately ten times as rapidly as the normal bacteria from which they were derived.