Constants of the Alper and Howard-Flanders Oxygen Equation for Damage to Bacterial Membrane, Deduced from Observations on the Radiation-induced Penicillin-sensitive Lesion

Summary

Energy deposited in the bacterial envelope of E. coli B/r induces lesions which are lethally attacked by penicillin in concentration insufficient to affect unirradiated bacteria. The critical lesions are probably in the membrane moiety. Bacteria were irradiated in the presence of 100 per cent oxygen, oxygen-free nitrogen and mixtures of 1·01, 0·59, 0·3, 0·1 and 0·06 per cent oxygen in nitrogen. Changes in sensitivity with pO₂ conformed with the Alper and Howard-Flanders equation, for bacteria treated after irradiation by penicillin as well as for the untreated ones. The values of m were respectively 4·8 and 3·3; the values of K were identical, within experimental error, i.e. 4·4 mmHg.

Sensitivity to induction of the penicillin-sensitive lesion was calculated from the difference in the reciprocals of D₀ values proper to untreated and treated bacteria, for every gas used. The value of m could not be directly calculated because the effect of penicillin on anoxically irradiated bacteria was not detectable. For that reason, a transformation of the oxygen equation was used which allowed estimates to be made of both m and K, provided the results conformed with the equation. Within experimental error they did so conform. The calculated values of m and K for induction of the penicillin-sensitive lesion were respectively 8 and 5·9 mmHg, but it is shown that the oxygen enhancement ratio was probably underestimated and the K value overestimated.

On the assumptions that these values of m and K are specific for radiation damage to bacterial membrane, and that radiation-induced killing is attributable to lethal lesions in the membrane as well as the DNA, the results demonstrate that any interaction of oxygen with sites of energy deposition in the DNA must play a very much smaller role in radiosensitization than does interaction with sites of energy deposition in the membrane.

• bacteria
• membranes
• penicillin
• oxygen effects
• K values