The Role of Cellular Lipid in the Resistance of Gram-positive Bacteria to Penicillins

Abstract

It has been shown that when the Gram-positive micro-organisms Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus faecalis were grown under conditions in which their cellular lipid was increased a corresponding increase in their resistance to the penicillins benzylpenicillin, cloxacillin, methicillin, and quinacillin was produced. Likewise cell-wall lipid depletion caused a corresponding increase in sensitivity.