ENZYMES, TOXINS, PTO MAINS 49 
The question of specificity of action of bacterial enzymes is not 
definitely settled. There is some evidence in favor of the view that 
exo-proteolytic enzymes produced by various bacteria act upon a 
variety of proteins: thus, the cholera vibrio produces a soluble proteo- 
lytic enzyme which will digest casein, coagulated blood serum, egg 
albumen, fibrin and gelatin. Other organisms, as the staphylococcus, 
produce an exo-enzyme which will hydrolyze casein, coagulated blood 
serum and gelatin: its action upon other proteins is not definitely 
established. x\ccording to the observations of Bittroft'^ the soluble 
proteolytic enzymes of certain bacteria will dissolve liver, kidney and 
other parenchymatous organs in vitro quite as readily as they dissolve 
gelatin. The important question— are the products of hydrolysis 
of the same protein by proteolytic enzymes from different bacteria 
the same— is not definitely settled; it is probable, however, that the 
products differ. This suggests that the proteolytic enzymes of bacteria 
are not mere "catalyzers" which accelerate reactions in relatively 
unstal)le substances that would take place spontaneously but much 
more slowly; these enzymes (proteolytic enzymes) may not only incite 
reaction, they may guide it, as it were, along lines of clea\'age which 
would not be followed in the absence of this enzyme. The carbohy- 
drate—and the fat-splitting enzymes have much less latitude in split- 
ting the carbohydrates and fats respectively than the proteolytic 
enzymes, for these substances are less complex in structure and com- 
position than the proteins and protein derivatives. 
Fuhrmann- has classified enzymes of bacterial origin into four types 
as follows: 
A. ScHizASES (Hydrolytic) Cleavage Enzymes. 
1. Proteases, protein-splitting enzymes. Pepsin, Trypsin (Lysins, Coagulases). 
2. Carbohydrate-splitting enzymes. Amylase, Cellulase, Pectinase, Gelase, Inver- 
tase, Lactase. 
3. Glucoside-splitting enzymes. Emulsin (Synaptase). 
4. Fat-splitting enzymes. Lipases (esterases). 
B. Oxidizing Enzymes. 
Tyrosinase,' Acetic bacteria. Oxydase. 
C. Reducing Enzymes. 
Reductases.'' 
D. Fermentation Enzymes. 
Zymase, Urease, Lactic acid enzyme, Formiase.^ 
E. Synthesizing Enzyme. 
Carboligase.s 
The bacteriolysins are of particular importance in bacteriology: of 
the bacteriolysins, those which liberate unchanged hemoglobin from 
1 Ziegler's Beitrage, 1915, 60, :3.37. 
- Vorlesungen iiber Bakterien Enzyme, .Jena, 1907. 
5 Lehmann und Sano: Arch. f. Hyg., 190S, 67, 99. 
* Catalase. See Jorns: Ibid., 1908, 67, IM. 
= Pakes and Jollyman: Jour. chem. Soc, 1901, 79, :386, 459. Franzen and Greve: 
Ztschr. f. physiol. Chem., 1910, 64, 16, 261. 
« See Neuberg and Kobel: Handb. d. biol. Arbeitsmeth, abt. 4, 1927, p. 625. 
4 
