[Properties of a preparation of lytic enzymes from a culture of Bacillus subtilis].

The effect of pH, temperature, various salts and other compounds on the activity of the preparation of lytic enzymes from the culture of Bacillus subtilis (lyzosubtilin) was investigated. The preparation was shown to be active in neutral solutions of low ionic strength at 30-50 degrees C. The salts of magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, lead, mercury, aluminium and iron as well as Tris-buffer and Triton X-100 inhibited lyzosubtilin whereas lactic acid activated it. At 30 degrees C the preparation was stable within the pH range of 5 to 10. Its incubation for 60 min at 60 degrees C resulted in the loss of 50% activity. Lyzosubtilin lyzed cells of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, yeast and fungi.