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Effects of p-Fluorophenylalanine and Chloramphenicol on Chemotaxis in Escherichia coli

^a Department of Bacteriology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50010

ABSTRACT

The effects of chloramphenicol and p-fluorophenylalanine (p-FPA) on growth, proportion of motile cells, average rate of motility, and the chemotactic response of a methionine auxotroph of Escherichia coli K-12 were studied. Kinetic studies revealed that the inhibition of chemotaxis by p-FPA can be explained by the effect on growth, proportion of motile cells, and average rate of motility rather than a selective inhibition of chemotaxis per se. The effect of chloramphenicol on chemotaxis could not be explained in terms of these characteristics. It is concluded that low concentrations of chloramphenicol, unlike p-FPA, selectively inhibit chemotaxis.

¹ National Defense Education Act Pre-Doctoral Fellow.

² National Science Foundation Undergraduate Research Participant.