[Natural variability of Actinomyces lavendulae, a producer of cholesterol oxidase]. / Estestvennaia izmenchivost' Actinomyces lavendulae--produtsenta kholesterinoksidazy.

Five variants of Actinomyces lavendulae differing in the morphology of their colonies were found when natural variability of this organism was studied. A correlation was established between the colony morphology of the variants and their activity of cholesterol decomposition. The variants forming colonies of the basic and folded type had the highest activity. A variant with an elevated activity of cholesterol oxidase was selected. In order to maintain the high activity of the culture, it is necessary to examine its variability and to select variants corresponding to the basic type in their morphology.

[Decomposition of human blood cholesterol by the enzyme from Actinomyces lavendulae]. / Razlozhenie kholesterina, soderzhashchegosia v krovi cheloveka, fermentnym preparatom iz Actinomyces Lavendulae.

In vitro experiments with enzymic decomposition of cholesterol contained in the human blood were carried out. The enzyme was obtained from the mycelium of Actinomyces lavendulae. As a result of incubation of blood samples in the presence of the enzyme at 37 degrees, the cholesterol content decreased and reached 30--43% of the initial value within 2 hours. The enzyme showed its specific effect only upon free cholesterol but not on its esters.

[Effect of nitrogen sources on growth and cholesterol decomposing activity of Mycobacterium rubrum and Achromobacter canadicans]. / Vliianie istochnikov azota na rost i kholesterinazrushaiushchuiu sposobnost' kul'tur Mycobacterium rubrum i Achromobacter candicans

The effect of 12 sources of nitrogen on growth and cholesterine-decomposing activity was studied with Mycobacterium rubrum and Achromobacter candicans. The yield of biomass and the rate of cholesterine decomposition depended on the source of nitrogen and its concentration in the medium. The highest specific activity of the enzyme decomposing cholesterine was found during growth of the cultures on media containing reduced forms of nitrogen. The activity of the enzyme of Mycobacterium rubrum was by 25% higher than that of Achromobacter candicans. The optimum conditions for the production of the enzyme by Mycobacterium rubrum were on media containing 1.0 g of asparagine or 5.0 g of ammonium nitrate per one litre, and for the enzyme production by Achromobacter candicans, on media containing 5.0 g of ammonium phosphate per one litre.