Inhibitory effect of antimicrobial agents on alginate production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

nase (GMD) is characterized as the key enzyme in alginate formation in P. aeruginosa6~8\ Therefore, substances that specifically inhibit GMD activity are expected to be effective therapeutic agents against biofilm-forming P. aeruginosa. We reported that morphological alteration of mucoid to non-mucoid in P. aeruginosa and inhibition on GMDactivity might be an useful method to screen alginate biosynthetic inhibitors from microbial metabolites9). In this paper we describe mucoid to non-mucoid alteration, inhibition of alginate production, and GMDinhibition by clinically used antibacterial agents and their relation-