The partially inhibited growth of Escherichia coli in the presence of some antibacterial agents

Abstract

Abstract Cultures of Escherichia coli were partially inhibited by treatment with tetracycline, phenol, phenylmercuric acetate or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The effects of these agents were investigated by measuring the cell size distributions after growth had occurred in the presence of sufficient ampicillin to suppress cellular division. Tetracycline and phenol inhibited cultures by a uniform decrease in the rate of growth of all of the cells; cetyltrimethylammonium bromide completely inhibited the growth of some of the cells whilst having no effect on the remainder; phenylmercuric acetate probably affected all the cells but inhibited each individual to a different extent. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of a general growth rate equation.