Work

Hydrogen Peroxide Production by Streptococcus pneumoniae Results in Alpha-hemolysis by Oxidation of Oxy-hemoglobin to Met-hemoglobin

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: There is a misconception that alpha-hemolysis observed on blood agar plate cultures of Streptococcus pneumoniae and other alpha-hemolytic streptococci is produced by a hemolysin or, alternatively, by lysis of erythrocytes caused by hydrogen peroxide. We noticed in the course of our investigations that wild-type S. pneumoniae strains and hemolysin (e.g., pneumolysin) knockout mutants produced the alpha-hemolytic halo on blood agar plates.

Source: mSphere

DOI: 10.1128/msphere.01117-20