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J Bacteriol. 1965 October; 90(4): 857-862
Copyright © 1965 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Inhibitory Action of Selenite on Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, and Salmonella thompson¹

^a Department of Bacteriology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Department of Dairy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Department of Food Industry, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

ABSTRACT

WEISS, K. F. (Iowa State University, Ames), J. C. AYRES, AND A. A. KRAFT. Inhibitory action of selenite on Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, and Salmonella thompson. J. Bacteriol. 90:857–862. 1965.—The resistance of three microorganisms, Escherichia coli (ISU-41), Proteus vulgaris (ISU-37c), and Salmonella thompson (ISU-86-2), to increasing concentrations of selenite was determined. E. coli was completely inhibited by 1.25% sodium hydrogen selenite, and 0.25% sodium hydrogen selenite caused a pronounced lag. P. vulgaris survived selenite concentrations of over 3%. S. thompson was inhibited completely by 3% selenite but not by 2.5%, although there was a considerable lag and a decrease in total growth. The relationship of growth, uptake, and reduction of selenite was determined. The susceptible E. coli incorporated up to twice as much selenium as did the other two organisms during the early stages of incubation. Radioautographs of seleno analogues of sulfur-containing amino acids revealed the presence of seleno-cystine in all three organisms, and seleno-methionine in E. coli. Compounds having R_F values corresponding to possible oxidation products of seleno-methionine were present in the hydrolysates of P. vulgaris and S. thompson. Kinetic aspects of selenite uptake, rather than the ultimate localization of selenite in the cell protein, appear to be the factors that determine the degree of resistance or of susceptibility to selenite.

² Present address: Department of Foods and Nutrition, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

¹ Journal Paper J-4966 of the Iowa Agricultural and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa. Project 1392, Center for Agricultural and Economic Development cooperating.