BIOCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF NOVOBIOCIN ON STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

Abstract

Wishnow, Rodney M. (Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo.), Jack L. Strominger, Claire H. Birge, and Robert H. Threnn. Biochemical effects of novobiocin on Staphylococcus aureus. J. Bacteriol. 89:1117-1123. 1965.-Novobiocin induced accumulation in Staphylococcus aureus of uridine nucleotide precursors of the cell-wall glycopeptide, of a cytidine nucleotide precursor of the teichoic acid in the cell wall, and of a large number of other ultraviolet-absorbing materials. These substances accumulated promptly on addition of the antibiotic at levels near the growth-inhibitory concentration. Isotopic experiments showed that, in addition to inhibiting cell-wall synthesis, novobiocin also inhibited both protein and nucleic acid synthesis. The lack of selectivity in the action of novobiocin is similar to that previously observed with gentian violet, and is quite different from the selective inhibition of cell-wall synthesis observed with penicillin or with d-cycloserine. Although inhibition of cell-wall synthesis is not excluded as one of the primary lethal effects of novobiocin, it is also possible that all of the observed phenomena are secondary to some other primary metabolic lesion.