Abstract
O'Leary, William M. (Cornell University Medical College, New York, N.Y.), and Julia T. Weld. Lipolytic activities of Staphylococcus aureus. I. Nature of the enzyme producing free fatty acids from plasma lipids. J. Bacteriol. 88:1356-1363. 1964.-The enzyme of Staphylococcus aureus, Guy strain, which is responsible for producing free fatty acids in human plasmas was purified approximately 225-fold from extracts of cultures in which the organism was grown. Purification procedures included ammonium sulfate precipitation, ethanol precipitation, gel filtration, and diethylaminoethyl-cellulose chromatography. Stability characteristics, pH and temperature optima, and substrate requirements were established. The principal plasma substrate is plasma lipoprotein, and the major reaction product is free octadecenoic acid. The ability of this compound to uncouple oxidative phosphorylation may be involved in the pathological effects of S. aureus at the molecular level.