Summary
A simple method to detect lipolytic activity of micro-organisms is described. The formation of lipase is demonstrated by adding water-soluble Tweens to a nutrient medium. Around the colonies with lipolytic activity there appears a well visible halo which is due to crystals of the calcium salt of the fatty acid liberated by lipolysis. The three chief advantages of the use of Tweens are that:
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1.
there is an optimum contact between the growing cells and the fatty substrate, which is necessary in those cases in which the formation of lipase is adaptive.
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they can be used in studies on the specificity of the lipase.
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the results are directly visible.
By examining with this method several strains of bacteria, and comparing it with two other methods, it appeared that in some cases agreement was lacking. Some differences between the three methods are discussed. It is shown that the lipase formation of various strains is adaptive.
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This work was carried out in the Laboratory of Microbiology, Municipal University of Amsterdam, Holland, during the tenure of a post-graduate scholarship from the “Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas” Spain.
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Sierra, G. A simple method for the detection of lipolytic activity of micro-organisms and some observations on the influence of the contact between cells and fatty substrates. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 23, 15–22 (1957). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02545855
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02545855