SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE ACTION OF PENICILLIN, BACITRACIN, AND VANCOMYCIN ON BACILLUS MEGATERIUM

Abstract

Hancock , R. (Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.), and P. C. Fitz-James . Some differences in the action of penicillin, bacitracin, and vancomycin on Bacillus megaterium . J. Bacteriol. 87: 1044–1050. 1964.—Penicillin and cycloserine do not inhibit the growth of protoplasts of Bacillus megaterium , indicating that inhibition of cell-wall synthesis is the only significant process by which they inhibit growth of bacteria. In contrast, bacitracin and vancomycin inhibit growth of protoplasts and bacteria at similar concentrations, indicating that they have important sites of action other than their known inhibition of cell-wall synthesis. At concentrations which inhibit mucopeptide synthesis, penicillin, bacitracin, and vancomycin each cause an increased rate of efflux of K ions from growing bacteria. This effect of penicillin is prevented by chloramphenicol or hypertonic sucrose, whereas the effects of bacitracin and vancomycin are unchanged under these conditions. It is concluded that bacitracin and vancomycin have direct effects on the cytoplasmic membrane, and it is proposed that their inhibition of cell-wall synthesis could be a consequence of these effects. Bacitracin and vancomycin do not compete with penicillin for binding to cells of B. megaterium , a further indication that they have a different primary site of action.