CELL DIVISION IN A SPECIES OF ERWINIA II

Abstract

The D forms of serine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, or histidine either alone or in combination with glucose profoundly inhibit cell division in a species of Erwinia growing in a chemically defined medium. Higher levels of the D-amino acid can also completely inhibit growth. Division inhibition by serine can be reversed almost completely by inorganic ammonium salts, D- or L-alanine, or p-aminobenzoic acid and, to a lesser extent, by other compounds such as guanine, L-valine, L-iso-leucine, or glutamine. Reversal of division-inhibition by alanine appears to be competitive. Substitution in any of 3 positions in the serine molecule negates division-inhibition by serine.