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Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1977 February; 11(2): 318-323
Copyright © 1977 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Tetracycline Inhibits Propagation of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Replication and Alters Membrane Properties

Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Jewish Hospital and Research Center, and Department of Microbiology, University of Colorado Medical Center, Denver, Colorado 80206

ABSTRACT

Tetracycline, at concentrations greater than required for inhibition of protein synthesis, rapidly and completely inhibits replication of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. At these concentrations of tetracycline, synthesis of ribonucleic acid is not appreciably altered. In addition to inhibiting DNA replication, tetracycline causes alterations of the cytoplasmic membrane resulting in leakage of intracellular pools of nucleotides, amino acids, and the non-metabolizable sugar analogue, thiomethylgalactoside. As DNA is synthesized at a site on the membrane, alterations of membrane structure by tetracycline may be responsible for the observed inhibition of DNA replication.