1. Lysolipid was prepared by the action of snake venom on egg yolk, and a study was made of the factors affecting its hemolytic action upon rabbit erythrocytes. 2. Lysis proceeded very rapidly at first, then ceased within a few minutes at room temperature. A given amount of lysin appeared to hemolyze a fixed number of cells, under specified conditions. 3. The more dilute erythrocyte suspensions...

Contemporary interest in the enzyme phospholipase A2 (PLA2) understandingly is centred around its role in the release of unsaturated fatty acids as the precursors for other biologically active molecules such as the prostaglandins. However, the other products of the reaction, the lysophosphatides, and in particular lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), are potent detergents which at high concentrations...

Evidence from microscopic studies indicates that hemolysis caused by the mumps virus hemolysin is a chemical type of hemolysis. Chromatographic analyses of the reaction mixture of erythrocytes and mumps virus following hemolysis indicate that hemolysis is not due to the action of a lecithinase A and that lysolecithin does not play a part in this process. The alteration of a component of the ery...

Phaseolus vulgaris mitochondria incubated in sucrose swell rapidly upon the addition of phospholipase A. Bovine serum albumin inhibits the swelling. The release of free fatty acids as a result of phospholipase A action on the mitochondria is detected only in the presence of bovine serum albumin, which promotes the hydrolysis of both mitochondrial phospholipids and purified lecithin. Either free...

An enzyme that hydrolyzes sphingomyelin to ceramide and phosphorylcholine has been purified from the growth medium of Clostridium perfringens. The activity of the enzyme is stimulated about Z-fold by magnesium chloride and by diethyl ether. The activity of the enzyme is completely inhibited by 10M3 M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or 10-3 M calcium chloride. Lysolecithin and dipahnitoyl lecith...