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. 1986 Mar;165(3):682–688. doi: 10.1128/jb.165.3.682-688.1986

Inhibition of beta-lactam antibiotics at two different times in the cell cycle of Streptococcus faecium ATCC 9790.

M J Pucci, E T Hinks, D T Dicker, M L Higgins, L Daneo-Moore
PMCID: PMC214483  PMID: 3456343

Abstract

Treatment of Streptococcus faecium ATCC 9790 with sublytic concentrations of beta-lactam antibiotics revealed two different division blocks in the cell division cycle. One block, induced by N-formimidoyl thienamycin and methicillin, occurred before the completion of chromosome replication, whereas the other, induced by cefoxitin and cephalothin, took place later in the cycle. In addition, these antibiotics gave rise to distinct morphological forms; the antibiotics acting at the earlier block point produced mainly "dumbbells," whereas those affecting the later time formed "lemons." When used in combination N-formimidoyl thienamycin and cefoxitin exerted synergistic killing on this strain. These data suggest that beta-lactam antibiotics have at least two sites of action in S. faecium.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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