Stimulation of Derepressed Enzyme Synthesis in Bacteria by Growth on Sublethal Concentrations of Chloramphenicol

Abstract

Culturing of Salmonella typhimurium or Escherichia coli cells in the presence of low concentrations (≤1 μg/ml) of chloramphenicol (CAP) permitted exponential growth, but at doubling times up to twice those of controls. When such cultures were subsequently starved for uracil or arginine, derepression of aspartate transcarbamylase (ATCase) or ornithine transcarbamylase, respectively, was enhanced three- to 10-fold as compared to cultures not exposed to CAP. Enhancement of β-galactosidase synthesis by prior exposure to CAP was also observed in uracil-starved E. coli cultures. Stimulation of enzyme synthesis appeared to be a specific effect of CAP; low levels of erythromycin, puromycin, sparsomycin, tetracycline, and rifampin did not show such effects. Derepression of ATCase synthesis in exponentially growing cells in the presence of CAP did not result in stimulation of enzyme synthesis by CAP. A prior history of growth of a culture in the presence of CAP was shown to be necessary for enhancement of enzyme synthesis by CAP; furthermore, continued presence of CAP in the medium during starvation was not necessary for enhanced enzyme synthesis and inhibited it in some instances. Enhanced enzyme synthesis in starving, CAP-treated cultures could be blocked by rifampin, which suggested that CAP treatment allows prolonged or more extensive messenger ribonucleic acid synthesis.