Separation and properties of the haemolysins and extracellular enzymes of Listeria monocytogenes and L. ivanovii.

Desalted ammonium-sulphate (0-65%) precipitates from the cell-free supernates of 16-24-h cultures of Listeria monocytogenes Boldy and L. ivanovii (previously L. monocytogenes) Type 5 were eluted through Sephadex G-200. The enzyme activities gave rise to two main peaks. The first peak (approximate mol. wt of protein 150,000) contained only phosphatase activity (assayed by hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenylphosphate at pH 5.0 and 7.0). The second peak (approximate mol. wts of proteins 40,000-60,000) contained the haemolysin activity and the following hydrolytic activities (assay substrates are given in parentheses): phospholipase C (phosphatidyl choline and 4-nitrophenyl-phosphoryl-choline); phosphodiesterase (bis-4-nitrophenyl-phosphate); acid phosphatase (4-nitrophenylphosphatase); and esterases and lipases (4-nitrophenyl acetate, naphthyl-acetate and -oleate, triacetin and triolein). DEAE-Sephadex chromatography of appropriate fractions from the Sephadex G-200 purification step separated the first peak into two phosphatases and resolved the second peak into its constituent activities. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the individual fractions from the DEAE-Sephadex step consisted of mixtures of protein. The effects of pH and potential activators and inhibitors on the active proteins purified by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography were examined.