Sensitivity of Coccal and L Forms of Staphylococcus Aureus to Five Antibiotics.

Kagan, B. M. (Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, Los Angeles, Calif.), Susan Zolla, R. Busser, and Silvija Liepnieks. Sensitivity of coccal and L forms of Staphylococcus aureus to five antibiotics. J. Bacteriol. 88:630-632. 1964.-Antibiotics whose primary site of action is in the cell wall (penicillin and cephalothin) do not inhibit growth of L-phase organisms. In this study, kanamycin, neomycin, polymyxin B, lincomycin, and gentamycin were found to be more active against L-phase growth of Staphylococcus aureus in vitro than against the coccal forms. Therefore, their primary site of antimicrobial activity appears to be other than that involved in the synthesis or integrity of the cell wall.