title: Effect of alcohol on bacterial hemolysis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Microbiology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Natali
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shirron
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korem
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shuster
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leikin-Frenkel
authors.forename: Mel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D000440:Butanols; D003470:Culture Media; D008055:Lipids; D000431:Ethanol; D000362:Agar