[The occurrence of neuraminidase and N-acetylneuraminate-pyruvate lyase in pathogenic haemophili of man (author's transl)].

We investigated the following six Haemophilus species from man for the both enzymes neuraminidase and N-acetylneuraminate pyruvate lyase: H. aegypticus, H. aphrophilus, H. influenzae. H. parahaemolyticus, H. parainfluenzae and H. vaginalis. It is shown that H. vaginalis does not produce either neuraminidase or N-acetylneuraminate pyruvate lyase. He differs, therefore, from all other investigated haemophili producing both enzymes, neuraminidase and N-acetylneuraminate pyruvate lyase. Colominic acid, Na-salt, is splitted better than N-acetylneuraminyllactose. It can be concluded, therefore, some substrate specificity of the neuramindase of Haemophili in the sense that the alpha, 2 leads to 8 linkage of neuraminic acid is cleaved quicker than the alpha, 2 leads to 3 linkage. The physiological and pathologenic role of the both enzymes is discussed.