Inhibition of Cytophaga U67 gliding motility by inhibitors of polypeptide synthesis

Gliding motility of Cytophaga U67 and several other cytophagas was inhibited by a growth-permissive concentration of chloramphenicol (50 g/ml). Several other inhibitors of polypeptide synthesis also demonstrated this effect. Short-term exposure to several of these inhibitors resulted in reversible inhibition of gliding by growing cells. In wet mounts chloramphenicol-grown cells demonstrated non-translocational tumbling. Electrophoretic patterns of polypeptides released by ethylenediaminetetraacetate treatment of control and chloramphenicol-grown cells were distinct. Gliding of a spontaneous mutant was resistant to chloramphenicol at 50 g/ml; its motility was inhibited at the growth-permissive concentration of 400 g/ml.