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. 1975 Sep;8(3):366–369. doi: 10.1128/aac.8.3.366

Mode of Action of Polymyxin B: Physiological Studies with a Bacillus subtilis-Resistant Mutant

A Galizzi †, G Cacco †,1, A G Siccardi †, G Mazza *
PMCID: PMC429319  PMID: 170857

Abstract

Polymyxin B resistance in Bacillus subtilis can be suppressed by the synergistic action of lysozyme or of an analogous cell wall lytic activity released by B. subtilis spores during germination.

Such a synergistic effect is probably due to partial cell-wall digestion by lysozyme that allows polymyxin to reach its site of action and is therefore distinct from the analogous synergistic effect described by other authors in Escherichia coli. In the latter case polymyxin B probably damaged the outer membrane, allowing lysozyme to reach and digest the cell wall.

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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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