Effect of sulfochloranthine on protein and nucleic acid biosynthesis in Escherichia coli

Sulfochloranthine was shown to be bacteriostatic for Escherichia coli B cells grown in a chemically defined medium at a concentration of 0.002%, sublethal at a concentration of 0.005%, and lethal at 0.01% (0.000312, 0.00078 and 0.00156% of active chlorine, respectively). Protein synthesis by E. coli B cells was noticeably inhibited when the concentration of the preparation was 0.002%, and stopped completely at a 0.01% concentration of the preparation. Biosynthesis of nucleic acids, in particular DNA, was inhibited to a lesser extent. The bacteriostatic concentration of the preparation had virtually no effect on DNA biosynthesis, but inhibited RNA biosynthesis by 50%. Sulfochloranthine used at sublethal doses inhibited synthesis of both DNA and RNA by 75%; DNA and RNA biosynthesis ceased at the lethal concentration of the preparation.