Stimulation and inhibition of Escherichia coli cell growth during cultivation in the catholyte and anolyte of culture medium

The effect of pretreatment of growth medium M-9 with direct electric current in the cathode and the anode compartments of a diaphragm electrolyzer on the growth of Escherichia coli cells was studied. The cells were cultured separately in the catholyte and the anolyte of the growth medium. The cell growth was registered as a change in optical density of the culture suspension by the method of turbidimetry. It was found that cells grown in the catholyte at a temperature of 37 degrees C yielded a 20-30% increase in amount as compared to the control. No cell growth was observed in the anolyte, and a part of the initial cells were lysed. Possible mechanisms of stimulation and inhibition of cell growth and the reasons of discrepancies in the earlier published data are discussed.