The effect of antibiotics on the electrical polarisability of aqueous suspensions of bacteria.
The orientation of washed Escherichia coli bacteria in suspension induced by applied a.c. electric fields has been monitored by observing the accompanying changes in the intensity of light scattered by the suspension. The data enable the anisotropy of electrical polarisability deltaalpha to be determined. Changes in deltaalpha due to the addition of various antibiotics to the suspension have been measured as a function of both the antibiotic concentration and the temperature of the suspension. The results are taken to indicate that there is an accumulation of the antibiotic molecules at the bacterial surface.
D000327:Adsorption; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001414:Bacitracin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008027:Light; D009355:Neomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011113:Polymyxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013499:Surface Properties
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins; D011113:Polymyxins; D001414:Bacitracin; D009355:Neomycin; D013307:Streptomycin