Mechanism of Resistance to Actinomycin in Bacillus Subtilis.

Polsinelli, M. (University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy), O. Ciferri, G. Cassani, and A. Albertini. Mechanism of resistance to actinomycin in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 88:1567-1572. 1964.-Strains of Bacillus subtilis were rendered resistant to actinomycin D by serial transfer in increasing concentrations of the drug. Resistance to the antibiotic appeared to be due to an altered cell-wall permeability, because the resistant strains did not take up actinomycin. No evidence was found for the presence of an enzyme(s) degrading actinomycin. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extracted from the actinomycin-resistant strains was found to bind actinomycin to the same extent as the DNA extracted from susceptible strains. The genetic nature of the resistance to actinomycin was demonstrated by means of transformation. Resistant strains appeared to have almost completely lost their transformability, as well as the tendency to autolyze.