Uses
Mutanolysin has been used in a study to assess lysing and generating protoplasts of dairy
streptococci. It has also been used in a study to investigate the conversion of group B
streptococci to protoplasts. It provides gentle cell lysis for the isolation of easily degradable biomolecules and RNA from bacteria. It has been used in the formation of spheroplasts for isolation of DNA.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Mutanolysin is an N-acetylmuramidase. Like lysozyme, it is a muralytic enzyme that cleaves the β-N-acetylmuramyl-(1→4)-N-acetylglucosamine linkage of the bacterial cell wall polymer peptidoglycan-polysaccharide. Its carboxy terminal moieties are involved in the recognition and binding of unique cell wall polymers. Mutanolysin lyses Listeria and other Gram-positive bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Lactococcus.
