THE MODE OF ACTION OF ANTIBIOTICS INVOLVING THE BACTERIAL CELL WALL.

Abstract

It is nown that many antibiotics prevent bacterial growth by inhibiting the biosynthesis of bacterial cell walls. Thus, bacteria grown in the presence of penicillin form spherical protoplasts which are apparently whole cells without a rigid cell wall. This study has been aimed at elucidating the chemical structure of the cell wall of Bacillus anthracis and the relation of this structure to virulence and antibiotic action. The C-terminal amino acid of the peptide component of the cell walls of B. anthracis (Weybridge strain) has been shown to be alanine by hydrazinolysis methods on a micro scale. Micro and ultramicro scale methods for peptide analysis by hydrazinolysis and fluorodinitroaniline labelling have been developed using thin layer chromatography as an auxiliary tool. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 13, 1963
Accession Number
AD0425465

Entities

People

  • Ronald S. Ratney

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amino Acids
  • Anabolism
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacteria
  • Cells
  • Cellular Structures
  • Chromatography
  • Protoplasts
  • Terminals
  • Thin Layer Chromatography
  • Virulence

Readers

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Microbial Pathology
  • Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry