ENZYMES OF THE TUBERCLE BACILLUS 



135 



Series III. Determination of an autolysis of bovine tubercle 



bacilli 



The experiments of series I and II were performed with human 

 tubercle baciUi; this series is in a certain sense a repetition and 

 check on the above except for the fact that bovine tubercle 

 bacilli were used. These results are plotted in chart I. 



They bear out the findings with the human tubercle bacilli in 

 that the autolysis occurs more rapidly under toluene (antiseptic) 

 than in merely aseptic conditions. 



0.16 

 0.1 4 

 0.12 

 1 

 0.0 8 

 0.0 6 

 0.0 4 

 O.O 2 



MG. 

 N 



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 



9 10 11 1213 Dav/s 



Chart I. Autolysis of Tubercle Bacilli Nox-Coagulable 

 Nitrogen Curves 



Continuous line is heated control at incubator temperature. Dotted line is 

 aseptic autolysis at incubator temperature. Da.sh line is antiseptic (toluene) 

 autolysis at incubator temperature. 



Series IV. Liberation of amino acids during autolysis of tubercle 



bacilli 



As a check upon the above findings and in order to see whether 

 the increase in non-coagulable nitrogen runs parallel with an 

 increase in liberated amino acid a nitrogen, the above experi- 

 ments were repeated and the autolysate was tested, at various 

 intervals during incubation, for a amino acid content by the 



THE JOURN.\L OF BACTERIOLOGY, VOL. Ill, NO. 2 



