Abstract
Summary
Studies were made to determine the specificity of the chemical inhibition of division of Escherichia coli and to determine the relationship of division inhibition to important biochemical metabolites. It was found that the cell-division process of E. coli could be specifically inhibited, without an accompanying inhibition of culture growth, by diazouracil and by other diazonium compounds, and it is suggested that the diazo group on the compounds is responsible for the inhibition. The inhibition of division by diazouracil was antagonized by tyrosine, and it was shown that the antagonism can not be attributed to a destruction of the inhibitor by tyrosine. Other amino acids, intermediate in the glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid cycles, and energy-rich phosphorus compounds were incapable of antagonizing diazouracil-inhibited cultures.
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