Stimulation of the onset of sporulation ofClostridium perfringens type A by netropsin and distamycin

The basic peptide antibiotics, netropsin and distamycin, previously shown to inhibit sporulation ofBacillus subtilis, stimulated low levels of sporulation ofClostridium perfringens strain NCTC 8798 at concentrations of 1.0 and 0.1 g/ml respectively. Most sporulating cells produced in the presence of the antibiotics were defective. These were blocked at Stage III of sporulation, and many possessed forespores exterior to the sporangium. The same antibiotics could also inhibit the caffeine-induced stimulation of sporulation of this strain.