Fine Structure of Bacteria Grown in the Presence of Acriflavine

Abstract

The effect of acridine derivatives on bacterial growth has been shown to be dependent upon the concentration used, pH, temperature, and the position of the amino substituents on the acridine molecule. These factors, in turn, affect the amount of acridine bound to cell constituents. Many bacterial species, when grown in media containing acridities, become filamentous, or pleomorphic, or growth may be entirely prevented. The fine-structure of two species of bacteria treated with acriflavine was investigated. Both were Gram-positive bacilli, one was a Corynebacterium, and the other an aerobic spore-bearing Bacillus.Organisms were incubated at 21°c in the presence of concentrations of acriflavine ranging from 0.25 ug/ml to 12 ug/ml in phosphate buffered peptone water yeast extract medium at pH 7.5. Viable counts were carried out and the amount of acriflavine bound, either reversibly or irreversibly, was estimated at 450 mu, using a DB spectrophotometer. Cultures were observed by light microscopy and, after four days growth, were processed for electron microscopy by fixation in veronal-acetate pH 6.1 buffered 0.8% Os O4 for one hour and embedding in Epon 812 resin.