Studies on the Hemolytic Substance from the Animals Infected with Tubercle Bacillus Part 3. Phospholipase A and B in Tubercle Bacillus

In the former reports the author described that a fairly large quantity of lysolecithin and unsaturated fatty acids having a strong hemolytic power are produced in the organs of animals infected with tubercle bacilli. With the purpose to reveal whether or not these hemolytic substances can be produced from the hosts' lecithin by the action of lecithinase which may be produced by the bacilli. The author observed the activity of phospholipase of tubercle bacilli. Grinding the bacilli belonging to bovine and avian types, the water extracts were obtained. This will contain phospholipase A and B, if they exist. Affecting these extracts with the lecithin and lysolecithin form tissues, the hemolytic power and the liberation grade of fatty acid of the products have been tested. The results rpoved that the extracts acted only on lysolecithin liberating fatty acids but not on lecithin indicating that the tubercle bacilli have the activity of phospholipase B but not of phospholipase A. Consequently it is concluded that the bacillus has no relation with the production of lysolecithin in the host organs infected with tubercle bacilli.