SUPPRESSION OF COLONIAL VARIATION IN BRUCELLA ABORTUS BY METAL-COMPLEXING COMPOUNDS

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Abstract
B. abortus, strain 19, was cultured in Gerhardt-Wilson medium. Versene, Na citrate, Na hexametaphosphate, 8-hydroxyquinoline, and 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate (the latter at 10-5 [image] concn.) suppressed completely the smooth-nonsmooth variation in 10-day cultures originally inoculated with smooth organisms. This effect could be reversed by Mn++, and to a lesser extent by Mg++, but not by Fe++, Co++, or Ma+ions. No adverse selective effect against rough types of Brucella was observed in the presence of these complexing compounds at the concns. used. Similar results were obtained in media rendered metal-deficient by 8-hydroxyquinoline-chloroform extraction. The exptl. data are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that Mn++ ions (and possibly Mg++) are involved in the chain of metabolic events which result in the appearance of nonsmooth variants in growing cultures of B. abortus originally inoculated with smooth organisms.