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J Bacteriol. 1962 May; 83(5): 981-988
Copyright © 1962, The Williams & Wilkins Company. All Rights Reserved.

CELL DIVISION IN A SPECIES OF ERWINIA III.

Reversal of Inhibition of Cell Division Caused by d-Amino Acids, Penicillin, and Ultraviolet Light¹

^a Department of Bacteriology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma

ABSTRACT

GRULA, E. A. (Oklahoma State University, Stillwater) AND MARY M. GRULA. Cell division in a species of Erwinia. III. Reversal of inhibition of cell division caused by D-amino acids, penicillin, and ultraviolet light. J. Bacteriol. 83:981–988. 1962.—Inhibition of cell division in an Erwinia sp. occurs in the presence of any of six D-amino acids, penicillin, or ultraviolet light. Cell-division inhibition caused by D-amino acids is pH-dependent; however, elongation caused by penicillin occurs over a wide range of pH. Bulging and spheroplast formation in the presence of penicillin occurs only at pH values below 7.6; however, division continues to be inhibited at higher pH levels. Reversal of cell-division inhibition caused by two D-amino acids (phenylalanine and histidine) can be partially overcome by their respective L-isomers. Divalent cations (Zn, Ca, Mn) cause varying amounts of reversal of division inhibition in all systems studied; each system appears to have an individual requirement. All induced division inhibitions, including that caused by penicillin, can be reversed by pantoyl lactone or -methylpantoyl lactone. Evidence is presented and discussed concerning the possible importance of pantoyl lactone and divalent cations in terminal steps of the cell-division process in this organism.

² Research Career Development Awardee, National Institutes of Health.

¹ Portions of this study were presented at the 60th Annual Meeting of the Society of American Bacteriologists, Philadelphia, Pa., May 1–5, 1960.