Extracellular enzymes of the genus Bacteroides.

The extracellular production of hyaluronidase and chondroitin sulfatase was demonstrated in all of the subspecies of Bacteroides fragilis tested with the exception of B. fragilis subsp. vulgatus. Elastase was found only in one strain of B. coagulans tested. This appears to be the first report of these enzyme activities in this genus. Additional enzymes found to be produced by certain members othis genus were fibrinolysin, penicillinase, lysozyme, lecithinase, deoxyribonuclease, phosphatase, protease, and lipase.