ELECTRON-TRANSPORT COMPONENTS OF STREPTOMYCIN-DEPENDENT ESCHERICHIA COLI

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Abstract
Bragg , P. D. (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B. C, Canada) and W. J. Polglase . Electron-transport components of streptomycin-dependent Escherichia coli . J. Bacteriol. 86: 544–547. 1963.—When a streptomycin-dependent strain of Escherichia coli was grown in antibiotic-free medium, the resulting streptomycin-depleted cells were found to contain relatively large amounts of vitamin K 2 . Cytochromes a 1 and a 2 were absent from depleted cells, and these cells metabolized glucose with the accumulation of lactic acid. Depleted cells were normal in their content of coenzyme Q 8 , total flavine, and cytochrome b . Growth of depleted cells on medium containing dihydrostreptomycin restored their ability to metabolize lactic acid concomitantly with a decrease in vitamin K 2 to a normal level, and with the formation of cytochromes a 1 and a 2 . It is concluded that streptomycin (or dihydrostreptomycin) is required by dependent E. coli for maintenance of the integrity of the electron-transport system.