Avian mycobactria (Strain AVT) was made resistant to isoniazid by successive transfers on Sauton synthetic media containing 100 micrograms of this drug per ml. Resistant cells thus obtained were cultured on metal-enriched Sauton media with or without isoniazid, and hydrazidase activity of these cells was followed in the course of cultivation. Enzyme assay method was reported in the preceding paper (Amer. Rev. Resp. Dis. in press) and specific activity was calculated as micromoles of hydrazine formed per hour pergm. of dried weight of cells harvested. Bacillary yield was also measured and expressed by mg. of dried weight of cells harvested from each culture flask containing 40 ml. of the me dium.
Effects of metals on the growth of isoniazid-resistant cells were summarized as follows: (See also Table 1)
1) The addition of metal, with exception of Mg++ and Mo, inhibited the initial growth of the cells, especially in the presence of isoniazid.
2) Growth rate of the cells during constant growth phase was increased by the addition of metal, with exception of Mg++ and Fe+++, in the absence of isoniazid, but in the presence of iso niazid, the addition of metal, except Ca++ and Mo, decreased the growth rate.
3) Maximal yield of the cells was increased by the addition of metal either with or without of isoniazid.
The action of isoniazid on the growth of the resistant cells was affected by the addition of metal as follows and these results were also summarized on the second half of Table 1.
1) Initial growth on the basal medium was inhibited to about two-thirds by the addition of isoniazid, though the cells used were resistant to the drug. The action of isoniazid was enhanc ed by the addition of Mg++, Zn++, Fe++, Mo, and C o++, but not by Mn++. and Fe++.
2) Growth rates of the resistant cells grown on the basal medium and Mg-, Ca-, Fe++ -supplemented media were accelerated by the addition of isoniazid, but on the contrary, isoniazid depressed growth rates of the cells grown on Mn and Co-supplemented media.
3) Maximal yield was not affected by the addition of isoniazid in any case of media. In the preceding paper, the inhibition of hydrazidase by fluoride, borate, 8-hydroxyquinoline and o-phenanthroline, which were known as metal-enzyme inhibitors, was reported. As the results of this inhibition-experiment suggested the possibility that some metal might have an essential roll in enzyme action, several metals were tested as for their effects on hydrazidase production. Results were shown on Figs Most of the metals tested were inhibitory on the enzyme production, when added in excess. But Fe++ and Co++ affected on hydrazidase production in a special way as shown in Figs. 9 and 6, respectively. Especially, it must be noticed that hydrazidase activities were very high at the initial stage of cell growth when they were cultured on the FeoeO-or CooeO-supplemented medium. As for the significance of these metals on the enzyme-production or on the enzyme-action, it is not possible to say something conclusive from such type of experiments, though they are very suggestive, and the problem will be studied further with purified enzyme preparation from other sides.
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