Inverse correlation in nutritionally variant streptococci between the production of bacteriolytic activity and sensitivity to a Streptococcus pyogenes bacteriocinlike inhibitory substance.

Nineteen strains of nutritionally variant streptococci (NVS) were tested for bacteriolytic activity and for their production of and sensitivity to streptococcal bacteriocinlike inhibitory substances (BLIS). None appeared to produce BLIS. An inverse relationship was found between the sensitivity to BLIS and the production of bacteriolytic activity against Micrococcus luteus. All but one of the 14 Streptococcus defectivus isolates were sensitive to the BLIS of S. pyogenes P5, and these isolates were nonlytic. The five S. adjacens isolates were not sensitive to any BLIS tested, and all of these isolates displayed bacteriolytic activity. Sensitivity to the BLIS of S. agalactiae P3 separated the nonlytic S. defectivus strains into two categories.