Lysostaphin from Staphylococcus staphylolyticus

Lysostaphin is a glycylglycine endopeptidase. It is an important antibacterial enzyme.

Lysostaphin is a zinc endopeptidase with a molecular weight of approximately 25 kDa. Because lysostaphin cleaves the polyglycine cross-links in the peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall of Staphylococcus species it has been found useful for cell lysis and also as a potential anti-microbial therapeutic.
pH Optimum for activity: ~7.5

Lysostaphin has the ability to cleave both viable and heat-killed S. aureus cells. It is one of the major antibacterial agents for the staphylococci. Lysostaphin cleaves the cross-linking pentaglycine bridges in the cell walls of staphylococci. Thus it is considered as an antistaphylococcal therapeutic agent.

One unit will reduce the turbidity (A₆₂₀) of a suspension of Staphylococcus aureus cells from 0.250 to 0.125 in 10 min at pH7.5 at 37°C in a 6.0ml reaction mixture.