UNBALANCED GROWTH AND BACTERIAL DEATH IN THYMINE-DEFICIENT AND ULTRAVIOLET IRRADIATED ESCHERICHIA COLI

Abstract
Bacteria of strain 15 T- were treated with chloramphenicol or casamino acid before or during thymine-deficient incubation, or they were irradiated with ultraviolet light immediately before incubation without thymine. By such treatments it was possible to dissociate thymineless death from unbalanced growth, this is, from increase in bacterial mass without synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid. Unbalanced growth could be completely abolished without preventing thymineless death and vice versa.