Netropsin suppresses development of intracellular serine proteinase activity during postexponential growth ofBacillus megaterium

The antibiotic netropsin decreased only slightly the exponential growth rate in a medium with mineral salts and glucose but its effect was increased during postexponential growth. Protein turnover and the basal intracellular serine proteinase (ISP) activity in the crude cytoplasmic fraction were not significantly affected by netropsin during exponential growth. However, ISP activity increased during postexponential growth and its rise was inhibited by the antibiotic. The population in the postexponential phase was not committed to sporulation.