Hydrogen Peroxide Production by Streptococcus pneumoniae Results in Alpha-hemolysis by Oxidation of Oxy-hemoglobin to Met-hemoglobin
Erin McDevitt, Faidad Khan, Anna Scasny, Courtney D. Thompson, Zehava Eichenbaum, Larry S. McDaniel, Jorge E. Vidal
Abstract
There is a misconception that alpha-hemolysis observed on blood agar plate cultures of Streptococcus pneumoniae and other alpha-hemolytic streptococci is produced by a hemolysin or, alternatively, by lysis of erythrocytes caused by hydrogen peroxide. We noticed in the course of our investigations that wild-type S. pneumoniae strains and hemolysin (e.g., pneumolysin) knockout mutants produced the alpha-hemolytic halo on blood agar plates.
Topics & Concepts
HemolysisHydrogen peroxideHemoglobinStreptococcus pneumoniaeChemistryAlpha (finance)MicrobiologyBiochemistryMedicineImmunologyBiologyAntibioticsSurgeryConstruct validityPatient satisfactionHemoglobin structure and functionHeme Oxygenase-1 and Carbon MonoxideNeonatal Health and Biochemistry