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Serum Opacity Reaction produced by Staphylococci

Abstract

THE appearance of zones of opacity surrounding the growth of certain Staphylococci when cultured on nutrient agar containing human serum was reported by Christie and North1. They observed that: (a) the opacity occurred only with β-hæmolysin (hot–cold sheep hæmolysin) producing strains of bovine origin; (b) similar opacities occurred when an albumin fraction obtained by ammonium sulphate precipitation of the serum was substituted for whole serum in the medium. They believed that the opacity was produced as a result of denaturing of the albumin by the toxin released from the growing organism.

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References

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GULASEKHARAM, J., CHEYNE, I., DOERY, H. et al. Serum Opacity Reaction produced by Staphylococci. Nature 198, 1114 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/1981114a0

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