The Effect of Nucleic Acids and of Carbohydrates on the Formation of Streptolysin

1. Ribonucleic acid of yeast causes the formation of a potent hemolysin in broth cultures of Streptococcus pyogenes. 2. The hemolysin whose formation is induced by yeast ribonucleic acid appears to be identical with streptolysin S. 3. Desoxyribonucleic acid, products of acid or alkaline hydrolysis of ribonucleic acid, or many other substances tested, fail to produce a similar effect. 4. Digestion by ribonuclease increases markedly the streptolysin-inducing activity of certain preparations of ribonucleic acid. 5. A fraction (AF) of yeast nucleic acid has been isolated which possesses approximately 100 times the streptolysin-inducing capacity of the starting material. Some of the properties which distinguish AF, a polynucleotide, from ordinary yeast nucleic acid are described. AF is associated with the ribonuclease-resistant fraction of yeast nucleic acid. 6. Ribonucleic acid prepared from streptococci, wheat germ, and mammalian liver, and subsequently treated with ribonuclease, is about as active in causing streptolysin formation as ribonuclease-treated yeast nucleic acid. 7. Ribonucleic acid of tobacco mosaic virus, tested under comparable conditions, was found to be inactive. 8. Ribonucleic acid prepared from streptococci, wheat germ, and tobacco mosaic virus resembles yeast nucleic acid in possessing a ribonuclease-resistant fraction. 9. In addition to AF, a factor (or factors), present in meat infusion and in peptone, was found to be required for the formation of streptolysin. 10. The factor can be partially replaced by any one of several carbohydrates, the most active being maltose, glucosamine, and trehalose, in that order. 11. When appropriate concentrations of AF, maltose, and glucose are used, the nucleic acid-induced streptolysin can be produced in a medium whose chemical composition is essentially defined.