The effect of ethylenediaminetetra-acetate on Pseudomonas alcaligenes and the composition of the bacterial cell wall

1. EDTA in borate buffer has a marked bactericidal effect on Pseudomonas alcaligenes, which is more sensitive than Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The bactericidal effect is accompanied by solubilization of lipopolysaccharide and release of intracellular solutes. These effects are more pronounced at pH9.2 than 7.1. 2. Cell walls of P. alcaligenes were prepared and from them were obtained the readily extracted lipids and the fractions given by treatment with aqueous phenol. 3. The cell walls and the above components were analysed and results are compared with those for P. aeruginosa. 4. Lipopolysaccharide obtained by treatment of cell walls with aqueous phenol is contaminated with glycosaminopeptide to a variable extent. 5. The lipopolysaccharide contains less neutral sugar but more phosphorus than the lipopolysaccharide of P. aeruginosa; fucosamine is not a component of the lipopolysaccharide of P. alcaligenes.