106
A. SARAGEA ET AL.
C. pyogenes, C. equi, C. renale) and atypical corynebacteria contained
bacteriocinogenic strains in different proportions. The frequency of
bacteriocinogeny among these strains varied in terms of quantity and
sensitivity of the indicator strains. Media composition also influenced the
percentage of bacteriocinogenic strains. When indicator strains of the same
species were used a lower incidence of bacteriocinogeny was detected in
different species, especially in C. murium, C. ulcerans and C. equi, than
when heterologous species were also used (C. diphtheriae, and C. renale).
Similar observations were made by Gibson and Colman (1973), who
found that C. murium and C. hofmannii bacteriocinogenic strains are more
active against C. diphtheriae strains and bacteriocinogeny of C. diphtheriae
is more frequently demonstrated against C. ulcerans species.
Gibson and Colman (1973)) checking bacteriocinogeny in 83 strains,
pertaining to five different Corynebacterium species, also demonstrated
bacteriocinogenic activity in all the species studied by them (i.e. C. diphtheriae, C. belfanti, C. xerose, C. renale and C. bovis). The bacteriocins
obtained from C. diphtheriae were referred to by these authors as “diphthericins” and were demonstrated in 94% of the C. diphtheriae studied.
C. diphtheriae type mitis was demonstrated in Romania (Meitert, 1969a,
b) to show the highest percentage of bacteriocinogeny (42%), followed by
intermedius (15%) and gravis (7%). The same author noted that bacteriocinogeny is more frequent among C. diphtheriae toxigenic strains. Bacteriocinogeny was constant in only 54% of the bacteriocinogenic strains.
Meitert (1969a, b) and Meitert and Bica-Popii (1971) found that the
bacteriocinogenic corynebacteria displayed immunity against their own
bacteriocin. They noted that bacteriocins produced by different corynebacteria are active against strains of different microbial genera: P-haemolytic streptococci, viridans streptococci, enterococci, staphylococci,
Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Proteus vulgaris, Listeria monocytogenes and Erysipelothrix insidiosa. Coexistence of lysogeny and bacteriocinogeny was observed in 6 4 8 % of strains.
B. Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteriocin typing
1. History
The discovery of bacteriocins by Thibaut and FrCdCricq (1956a, b)
opened prospects for their use in classifying C. diphtheriae.
The use of bacteriocins, for epidemiological purposes, was signalled by
Emilianov et al. (1968). Krilova (1972) and Krilova et al. (1973) checked
bacteriocin typing and phage typing and were able to classify tox-, C.
diphtheriae mitis strains.
Meitert (1972, 1975) and Gibson and Colman (1973) used bacteriocin
A. SARAGEA ET AL.
C. pyogenes, C. equi, C. renale) and atypical corynebacteria contained
bacteriocinogenic strains in different proportions. The frequency of
bacteriocinogeny among these strains varied in terms of quantity and
sensitivity of the indicator strains. Media composition also influenced the
percentage of bacteriocinogenic strains. When indicator strains of the same
species were used a lower incidence of bacteriocinogeny was detected in
different species, especially in C. murium, C. ulcerans and C. equi, than
when heterologous species were also used (C. diphtheriae, and C. renale).
Similar observations were made by Gibson and Colman (1973), who
found that C. murium and C. hofmannii bacteriocinogenic strains are more
active against C. diphtheriae strains and bacteriocinogeny of C. diphtheriae
is more frequently demonstrated against C. ulcerans species.
Gibson and Colman (1973)) checking bacteriocinogeny in 83 strains,
pertaining to five different Corynebacterium species, also demonstrated
bacteriocinogenic activity in all the species studied by them (i.e. C. diphtheriae, C. belfanti, C. xerose, C. renale and C. bovis). The bacteriocins
obtained from C. diphtheriae were referred to by these authors as “diphthericins” and were demonstrated in 94% of the C. diphtheriae studied.
C. diphtheriae type mitis was demonstrated in Romania (Meitert, 1969a,
b) to show the highest percentage of bacteriocinogeny (42%), followed by
intermedius (15%) and gravis (7%). The same author noted that bacteriocinogeny is more frequent among C. diphtheriae toxigenic strains. Bacteriocinogeny was constant in only 54% of the bacteriocinogenic strains.
Meitert (1969a, b) and Meitert and Bica-Popii (1971) found that the
bacteriocinogenic corynebacteria displayed immunity against their own
bacteriocin. They noted that bacteriocins produced by different corynebacteria are active against strains of different microbial genera: P-haemolytic streptococci, viridans streptococci, enterococci, staphylococci,
Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Proteus vulgaris, Listeria monocytogenes and Erysipelothrix insidiosa. Coexistence of lysogeny and bacteriocinogeny was observed in 6 4 8 % of strains.
B. Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteriocin typing
1. History
The discovery of bacteriocins by Thibaut and FrCdCricq (1956a, b)
opened prospects for their use in classifying C. diphtheriae.
The use of bacteriocins, for epidemiological purposes, was signalled by
Emilianov et al. (1968). Krilova (1972) and Krilova et al. (1973) checked
bacteriocin typing and phage typing and were able to classify tox-, C.
diphtheriae mitis strains.
Meitert (1972, 1975) and Gibson and Colman (1973) used bacteriocin