Antibiotics and Lytic Enzymes

Abstract

It has been known for many years that one of the characteristic features of myxobacteria is their ability to lyse other microorganisms. Only recently, however, have some of the factors responsible for this lytic behavior been isolated and studied. It is now clear that myxobacteria produce a wide variety of antibiotics, bacteriocins, cell wall lytic enzymes, lipases, nucleases, polysaccharidases, and proteases. Apparently, these agents play an important role in the predatory activities of myxobacteria. In addition, some of these agents may take part in developmental autolysis that preceeds fruiting body formation and sporulation. In this chapter, we shall survey the lytic phenomena as exhibited by myxobacteria, describe the lytic agents, and discuss the possible functions of these agents in growth and development of myxobacteria.