Utilization of Serum a 1 -Globulin and Glycoprotein by Diplococcus pneumoniae ∗

Abstract

Summary

When serum samples were incubated with a rapidly growing strain of Diplococcus pneumoniae, striking decreases of serum glycoprotein and consistent decreases of protein resulted. Paper electro-phoretic studies indicated that these changes were largely restricted to the a ₁-globulin fraction. It would appear that this strain of Diplococcus pneumoniae preferentially uses glycoproteins found in the a ₁-globulin fraction of mammalian serum.