258 THE PYOGENIC COCCI 



has identified indol, phenol, skatol, and trimethylamine among the 

 decomposition products of staphylococci grown anaerobically in 

 protein media. Cacace 1 has shown that the earlier decomposition 

 products produced from gelatin and coagulated blood serum are 

 chiefly proteoses and peptones; as proteolysis proceeds, these products 

 are degraded to simpler amino acid compounds. 



Pigment. Staphylococci isolated directly from severe inflamma- 

 tions usually produce a golden-yellow pigment, but prolonged cul- 

 tivation upon artificial media may result in a partial or complete loss 

 of chromogenesis. Armand 2 has isolated non-chromogenic strains 

 of staphylococci directly from typically chromogenic cultures by the 

 plate method. The yellow pigment, which is produced most abun- 

 dantly in media containing carbohydrates (particularly on potato) 

 in the presence of free oxygen, appears to lie between the individual 

 organisms, not within their substance. It is insoluble, or nearly so, 

 in water, readily soluble in alcohol. It is related to the lipochromes. 

 The pigment can be saponified readily, and it evolves an odor of acro- 

 lein when it is dry-heated. Strong acids, notably sulphuric, change 

 the yellow color to a green-blue (lipocyanin) . Lugol's solution 

 (iodin-potassium iodide) turns it green. 



Enzymes. 1. Proteolytic. Old sugar-free broth and gelatin cul- 

 tures of staphylococcus contain a proteolytic enzyme which will liquefy 

 gelatin a gelatinase. This enzyme may be obtained in an active 

 state free from bacteria by filtering either broth or liquefied gelatin 

 cultures of the organism through unglazed porcelain. 3 An enzyme 

 which liquefies casein is demonstrable in milk cultures; whether the 

 latter enzyme is identical with the gelatinase has not been determined. 



2. Amylolytic. According to Buxton, 4 staphylococci produce a 

 maltase which hydrolyzes maltose; no other inverting enzymes have 

 been observed. 



3. Lipolytic. Wells and Corper 5 have demonstrated a lipase of 

 moderate activity in autolyzed agar slant cultures of staphylococci. 



4. Hemolytic. Neisser 6 and Wechsberg 7 have shown that old 

 (7- to 14-day) broth cultures of staphylococci, particularly the more 

 virulent strains, contain a soluble enzyme which hemolyzes blood 



1 Cent. f. Bakt., 1901, xxx, 244. 



2 Quoted by Lehmann and Neumann, Bacteriology, 1904, 3d ed., 193. 



3 Loeb, Cent. f. Bakt., 1902, xxxii, 471. 



4 Am. Med., 1903, vi, 137. 



s Jour. Inf. Dis., 1912, xi, 388. 



6 Zeit, f. Hyg., 1901, xxxvi, 299. 



7 Cent. f. Bakt., Orig., 1903, xxxiv, 857. 



