Effects of Chloramphenicol on Growth, Size Distribution, Chlorophyll Synthesis and Ultrastructure of Euglena Gracilis

Abstract

Multiplication of Euglena cells treated by 0.5-1.0 mg/ml chloramphenicol was not disturbed for the first 36 h and inhibition appeared only at later stages. The mean cell volume of treated dividing cells was decreased, although the initial rise in cell volume, which normally occurred during the first 12 h of incubation, was not prevented. The antibiotic also lowered the chlorophyll content of green dividing cells. In dard-grown cells transferred to light, inhibition of chlorophyll synthesis was immediate but not complete, and was followed by a decreased rate of plastid elongation and thylakoid formation. Our findings suggest that chloramphenicol does not cause the loss of existing pigment and that impaired chlorophyll synthesis is a secondary effect of inhibition of protein synthesis. The results also indicate that the greening process is more sensitive than cell division to the antibiotic.