Factors affecting the susceptibility of staphylococci to killing by the cationic proteins from rabbit polymorphonuclear leucocytes: the effects of alteration of cellular energetics and of various iron compounds.

Anaerobiosis, various respiratory inhibitors and certain agents altering cellular energetics profoundly affect the staphylocidal action of the cationic proteins from rabbit polymorphonuclear leucocytes. It is suggested that sensitivity to these proteins depends on the structure of the cell membrane as influenced by (1) the oxidation level of the cytochrome chain and (2) its energized state. Agents such as amytal and rotenone, which cause a block at the beginning of the chain and would increase its oxidation level, enhance killing, whereas those causing a block in or at the end of the chain, such a 2-n-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide, cyanide and anaerobiosis, which would cause reduction of a part or whole of the chain, prevent killing. Among agents altering the energized state of the membrane, dicyclohexyl-carbodi-imide, an ATPase inhibitor, does not prevent killing, whereas 2,4-dinitrophenol, carbonylcyanide-trifluoromethoxy-phenylhydrazone and 5-Cl, 3-t-butyl, 2'-Cl, 4'-NO2-salicylanilide, all uncouplers and ionophores for a specific ion, do prevent killing, although gramicidin, a relatively nonspecific ionophore, does not. The paper also contains an extension of previous work on the effect of iron and haematin, to include various other iron compounds and haematin derivatives.