Increase of cardiolipin content in Staphylococcus aureus by the use of antibiotics affecting the cell wall.

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Abstract
The effect of antibiotics affecting cell wall synthesis on phospholipid composition in S. aureus 209P was examined. Each antibiotic was added in the mid-exponential growth phase; growth was followed turbidimetrically. Penicillin, fosfomycin, cycloserine, moenomycin and cefazolin stabilized turbidity and halted growth, without causing lysis. Enramycin and bacitracin were bacteriolytic. Bacteriolytic antibiotics caused a greater increase of cardiolipin content than those that were non-bacteriolytic. Phosphatidylglycerol levels decreased in proportion to the increment of cardiolipin content. Since bacteriolytic antibiotics bind to undecaprenol, the role of cardiolupin content. Since bacteriolytic antibiotics bind to undecaprenol, the role of cardiolipin was discussed in relation to the mechanism of synthesis of cell surface materials.