Studies on Capsule Formation

Abstract

Electrolytes added to full-grown cultures of encapsulated Friedlander''s bacterium (K. pneumoniae) cause a marked decrease in the relative viscosity of the culture. This decrease depends only upon the valency of the cations, and is probably due to elimination of the negative charge of the encapsulated bacteria. Electrolytes added to growing cultures of this organism inhibit capsule formation. The appearance of lyotropic series in these inhibitions suggests that probably adsorption of electrolyte is sufficient to inhibit the enzymic system responsible for the synthesis of bacterial polysaccharide.