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Morphological and Biological Changes Induced by Thallium Acetate in Escherichia coli
Author(s) -
Nakamura Masahiro,
Kohguchi Kumiko
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
japanese journal of microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0021-5139
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1971.tb00583.x
Subject(s) - escherichia coli , coliphage , thallium , chemistry , cell wall , lysozyme , cytoplasm , glucosamine , electron microscope , nutrient agar , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , bacteria , biology , agar , inorganic chemistry , physics , bacteriophage , gene , genetics , optics
Morphological changes in Escherichia coli C‐600, from an elongated to a spherical form, induced by addition of 500 μg thallium acetate (TAL)/ml of nutrient agar are described. Properties of the TAL R E. coli (resistant to TAL) were studied, comparing to those of original E. coli : the TAL R E. coli cells were more fragile than those of the original cells in water and 3.5% NaCl solution, and more sensitive to heating, antibiotics except penicillin, and lysozyme. However, there were no differences of cell wall structure observed by an electron microscope and glucosamine contents of cells measured by chemical analysis between TAL R E . coli and original one. A few cells of TAL R E. coli were elongated by platinum ions, whereas most of the cells of original E. coli were elongated. Multiplications of coliphage T2 in TAL r E. coli cells were faster and more numerous than in those of the original ones. Therefore, it might be presumed that morphological changes in E. coli C‐600 induced by thallium acetate would be caused by less rigidity in the cell wall constitution, without any loss of cytoplasmic function.