Cultural conditions for Aeromonas hydrophila affect the production of haemolysins with differing host specificities

Five strains of Aeromonas hydrophila were studied for production of haemolysin specific for erythrocytes of various animal species using three cultural methods. All the strains produced haemolysin for all the erythrocyte species when the organisms were cultured on blood agar. Using cellophane overlay method, all the strains produced haemolysin for fish erythrocytes and variable activity to mammalian erythrocytes. Only one strain produced haemolytic activity for various though not all of the erythrocyte species when grown in brain heart infusion broth. Data suggest that A. hydrophila produces multiple haemolysins with specificities for erythrocytes of different animals. This was confirmed for trout and horse erythrocyte targeted haemolysins, by using iso-electric focussing separation and by measuring the effect of addition of ammonium sulphate to the growth medium.