[Bacteriolytic enzymes produced by actinomycetes. II. Biosynthesis and areas of practical application]

The data on physiological conditions of the bacteriolytic enzyme formulation of actinomycetes, the population structure of producing cultures, the search of producers of enzymes able to hydrolyze the peptidoglycan of cellular walls of bacteria are reviewed. The fields of application of lytic enzymes in fundamental and applied microbiological investigations are pointed out. These enzymes are of considerable interest as potentially useful chemotherapeutics and food preservatives. They may be successfully used in biochemical and genetic investigation, in the study of peptidoglycan structure. The ability of bacteriolytic enzymes to cause the lysis of microorganisms resistant to the lysozyme action is of special importance. The application of these enzymes allows to work out gentle methods of lysis of bacterial cells used in various fields of microbiology.