Adaptation of Bacillus subtilis to fatty acids

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Stearic, oleic, vaccenic and linoleic acids, within the range of concns. used, produce an inhibition of respiration of washed suspensions of B. subtilis and a concomitant inhibition of respiration and growth of growing cells. The inhibition is transient, its degree and duration being dependent on the ratio, acid: cells. Washed suspensions and growing celts, which have recovered from the inhibition, are resistant to further additions of acid at concns. higher than the initially inhibiting dose. Treatment with any one acid produces resistance against any of the other acids. A time lag ensues on treatment with a fatty acid before resistance develops. Low concns. of acid, which do not inhibit growth or O2 uptake, nevertheless produce resistance. The tolerance of growing cells with subsequent ievelopment of resistance is slightly greater than that of washed suspensions. The resistance is lost on subculturing the cells in absence of fatty acid. The evidence suggests that the resistance of acid-treated cells is due to the development of an adaptive enzyme, which is formed subsequently to the incorporation into the cell and the metabolic degradation of the fatty acid.