Mode of Action of Myxin on Escherichia coli

The effect of the new antibiotic, myxin, on the syntheses of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), and protein in Escherichia coli (strains B and 15T(-)) was examined. Within 7 min of the addition of myxin at 5 mug/ml, the synthesis of new bacterial DNA was almost completely inhibited. This was followed by an extensive degradation of the pre-existing DNA to an acid-soluble form. All of the evidence indicated that the primary effect of the antibiotic was on cellular DNA. The synthesis of RNA was completely inhibited after 15 min of exposure to myxin (5 mug/ml), and the synthesis of protein was markedly reduced after 30 min. There was no measurable breakdown of either RNA or protein in the myxin-treated cells. A marked stimulation of (14)C-uracil incorporation was found in the presence of myxin in 15T(-) cells only. This did not result from an increased rate of RNA synthesis but was due to an increase in the proportion of exogenous uracil, relative to endogenous uracil, incorporated into cellular RNA. This probably reflected a partial inhibition of the biosynthesis of uridine monophosphate from orotate. At 4.5 mug of myxin per ml and with 0.8 x 10(8) cells per ml, 50% of the antibiotic was reduced in 15 min from the biologically active oxidized form to the biologically inactive state. Under these conditions, a maximum of 0.6% (27 mumug/ml) of the myxin was retained in the cells.     

Effect of some D-amino acids on the steady-state level of glutamine synthetase in Escherichia coli.

D-Glutamate can elicit an increase in the specific activity of glutamine synthetase (GS) when added to cells growing in the presence of high ammonia nitrogen. This effect is independent of glutamate dehydrogenase or glutamate synthase activities and could not be provoked by the addition of the various metabolites which participate in the regulation of GS in the covalent modification system. Neither could an increase in GS level be elicited by addition of any of the D-amino acids which function as allosteric effectors or inhibitors of GS activity. The increase in GS level could also be provoked by addition of D-lysine, D-threonine, or glycine to cells growing in an ammonia-rich medium. The increase in GS level generated by a mixture of D-glutamate, D-lysine, D-threonine, and glycine approximates the increase in GS level observed during step-down of a wild-type Escherichia coli culture from ammonia-sufficient to ammonia-limited growth conditions. Studies with mutants exhibiting alterations in GS regulation indicated that the increase elicited by the addition of D-amino acids depends on the presence of the wild-type glnD allele, although no direct correlation between a positive response and the state of adenylylation of GS can be made.     

Fungitoxic effect of some derivatives of substituted phenoxyacetic acids

Фунгистатическое действие соединс-н ий mетил-, этил-,-пропил-, изопро-п ил- и -бутил-эфиров следующих к0438;с-лот: 2-mетокс ифеноксиуксусной, 3-mето- ЗамеЧаниЯ по вопросу ΟτноШения между проницаемосτьы И жизнеспосое‐ Ηосτьы) Κлеτок дрожжей Л. ΜобаЧ Β. ΚоеаЧоеа При инкубации с дезоксихолаτом йлеτки дрожжей сτановяτся пронииае – мыми для солей янτарной кислоτы и для феррицицианида. Через некоτорое ремя клеτки погибаыτ И ок осн овными краси τлями. Так как кор – реляции между прони даемосτьы и окра– Шиваемосτьы клеτок не наблыдалось, выскаываеτся предположение, Чτо при ЧасτиЧном разр уШении барьера пр они – даемосτи клеτки в τеЧние некоτорого времени могуτ осτаваτься живыми.     

Mode of Action of Novobiocin in Escherichia coli

The mechanism of action of novobiocin was studied in various strains of Escherichia coli. In all strains tested except mutants of strain ML, the drug immediately and reversibly inhibited cell division, and later slowed cell growth. The previously described impairment of membrane integrity, degradation of ribonucleic acid (RNA), and associated bactericidal effect were found to be peculiar to ML strains. The earliest and greatest effect in all strains was an inhibition of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis; RNA synthesis was inhibited to a lesser extent, and cell wall and protein synthesis were affected later. The inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis was accompanied by an approximately threefold accumulation of all eight nucleoside triphosphates. Since novobiocin does not inhibit nucleoside triphosphate synthesis, degrade DNA, or immediately affect energy metabolism, it must inhibit the synthesis of DNA and RNA by direct action on template-polymerase complexes.     

Studies on the Mode of Action of Glutaraldehyde on Escherichia coli

S ummary . Glutaraldehyde was readily taken up by Escherichia coli cells with an increase in solutions buffered to pH 7·9; it was paralleled by a corresponding increase in bactericidal activity. Attempts to desorb glutaraldehyde from the cells indicated that the drug molecules were firmly bound. Inhibition of synthesis of macromolecules was demonstrated. Cell walls of E. coli exhibited a much reduced rate of hydrolysis following treatment with glutaraldehyde.     

Chemotaxis toward amino acids in Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli cells are shown to be attracted to the l-amino acids alanine, asparagine, aspartate, cysteine, glutamate, glycine, methionine, serine, and threonine, but not to arginine, cystine, glutamine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine, or valine. Bacteria grown in a proline-containing medium were, in addition, attracted to proline. Chemotaxis toward amino acids is shown to be mediated by at least two detection systems, the aspartate and serine chemoreceptors. The aspartate chemoreceptor was nonfunctional in the aspartate taxis mutant, which showed virtually no chemotaxis toward aspartate, glutamate, or methionine, and reduced taxis toward alanine, asparagine, cysteine, glycine, and serine. The serine chemoreceptor was nonfunctional in the serine taxis mutant, which was defective in taxis toward alanine, asparagine, cysteine, glycine, and serine, and which showed no chemotaxis toward threonine. Additional data concerning the specificities of the amino acid chemoreceptors with regard to amino acid analogues are also presented. Finally, two essentially nonoxidizable amino acid analogues, alpha-aminoisobutyrate and alpha-methylaspartate, are shown to be attractants for E. coli, demonstrating that extensive metabolism of attractants is not required for amino acid taxis.