A strain of pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus, grown under special conditions, accumulates extracellular metabolites about the bacterial cells. This phenomenon may simulate, but is differentiable from, the capsulation of, for instance, the mucoid "Smith" strain. The special nutrient requirements, namely lactose, mannitol, vitamin, and gelatin containing medium, promote the production and accumulation about the cells of, in particular, soluble coagulase. A mutant of this parent strain, deficient in capacity to elaborate soluble coagulase and fibrinolysin, does not accumulate metabolites about its cells, even under the special growth conditions. To avoid confusing this phenomenon, which at least in vitro is essentially artifactitious, with true capsulation, we suggest the term pseudocapsulation.
Article|
April 01 1961
CONCERNING THE SURFACES OF CELLS OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS PYOGENES : I. A PSEUDOCAPSULATION PHENOMENON UNDER CERTAIN EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS
Theodore Sall,
Theodore Sall
From the Departments of Microbiology and Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and the United States Veterans Administration Hospital, Philadelphia
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Stuart Mudd,
Stuart Mudd
From the Departments of Microbiology and Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and the United States Veterans Administration Hospital, Philadelphia
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James Taubler
James Taubler
From the Departments of Microbiology and Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and the United States Veterans Administration Hospital, Philadelphia
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Theodore Sall
From the Departments of Microbiology and Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and the United States Veterans Administration Hospital, Philadelphia
Stuart Mudd
From the Departments of Microbiology and Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and the United States Veterans Administration Hospital, Philadelphia
James Taubler
From the Departments of Microbiology and Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and the United States Veterans Administration Hospital, Philadelphia
Received:
December 14 1960
Online ISSN: 1540-9538
Print ISSN: 0022-1007
Copyright, 1961, by The Rockefeller Institute
1961
J Exp Med (1961) 113 (4): 693–700.
Article history
Received:
December 14 1960
Citation
Theodore Sall, Stuart Mudd, James Taubler; CONCERNING THE SURFACES OF CELLS OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS PYOGENES : I. A PSEUDOCAPSULATION PHENOMENON UNDER CERTAIN EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS . J Exp Med 1 April 1961; 113 (4): 693–700. doi: https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.113.4.693
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