Coordinate production of three exoenzymes of Staphylococcus staphylolyticus

Staphylococcus staphylolyticus produced three exoenzymes (a staphylolytic endopeptidase, a hexosaminidase and a protease) coordinately under a range of conditions of induction and repression by various peptides and carbohydrates. Mutants of S. staphylolyticus were isolated and shown to have pleiotropic variations in the production of the three enzymes. Hypo- or hyperproducing mutants of one enzyme were invariably hypo- or hyperproducers for the other two enzymes. Mutants that had lost the ability to produce one of the exoenzymes invariably failed to produce the other two enzymes. Revertants isolated from non-producers that regained the ability to produce one of the exoenzymes always regained the ability to produce the other two as well. These results suggest that the three exoenzymes share a common regulatory or processing mechanism.