Open AccessStudies on the Mechanism of Action of Nalidixic Acid
Author(s) -
Gerard J. Bourguig,
Martin Levitt,
Rolf Sternglanz
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.07
H-Index - 259
eISSN - 1070-6283
pISSN - 0066-4804
DOI - 10.1128/aac.4.4.479
Subject(s) - nalidixic acid , mutant , escherichia coli , dna , biochemistry , biology , mechanism of action , dna replication , bacteria , chemistry , in vitro , genetics , gene
With three independent techniques (absorption spectrophotometry, measurement of the deoxyribonucleic acid [DNA] melting temperature, and equilibrium dialysis), no evidence has been found for the binding of nalidixic acid to purified DNA. Also, no evidence has been found to support the hypothesis that nalidixic acid is permanently modified to a new, active compound by the bacterial cell. By using an in vitro DNA replication system developed by Bonhoeffer and colleagues, soluble extracts from nalidixic acid-sensitive cells have been shown to confer nalidixic acid sensitivity on the DNA synthesis of lysates from nalidixic acid-resistant cells. The activity in the extracts is only present in sensitive cells and is nondialyzable and heat sensitive. Finally, two known nalidixic acid-resistant mutants ofEscherichia coli , mapping atnal A andnal B , respectively, have been tested to determine whether either of them is a transport mutant. It has been shown thatnal B r is a transport mutant whereasnal A r is not.