Effect of alcohol on bacterial hemolysis.
Hemolysis of blood agar is broadly used as a diagnostic tool for identifying and studying pathogenic microorganisms. We have recently shown that alcohol vapors can confer hemolytic properties on otherwise nonhemolytic fungi (microbial alcohol-conferred hemolysis; MACH). Until now, this phenomenon has been found in various yeast strains and other fungi, but only in a few bacterial species (e.g., staphylococci). In the current study we (1) determined the extent of the above phenomenon in various gram-positive and gram-negative laboratory bacterial strains and in clinical bacterial isolates, (2) validated the observed hemolysis using a quantitative technique, and (3) provided evidence that the observed alcohol-mediated hemolysis may, at least in part, be related to synthesis of hemolytic lipids.
Shirron
Natali
N
Department of Human Microbiology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Korem
Moshe
M
Shuster
Amir
A
Leikin-Frenkel
Alicia
A
Rosenberg
Mel
M
D000362:Agar; D000438:Alcohols / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D000440:Butanols / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003470:Culture Media; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012756:Sheep
D000438:Alcohols; D000440:Butanols; D003470:Culture Media; D008055:Lipids; D000431:Ethanol; D000362:Agar