The mode of action of cervinomycin in Staphylococcus aureus.

The mode of action of cervinomycin, which is a new antibiotic active against Gram-positive bacteria including anaerobes, was studied in Staphylococcus aureus using triacetylcervinomycin A1 (ACVM), an acetyl derivative of cervinomycin A1. ACVM inhibited strongly the growth of the organism when it was added to a culture at the time of inoculation at a concentration of 1.0 micrograms/ml, but did not inhibit when added to a logarithmic phase culture even at 10.0 micrograms/ml. The antibiotic also inhibited the incorporation of labeled precursors of cell wall peptidoglycan (N-acetylglucosamine), RNA (uridine), DNA (thymidine) and protein (L-leucine) into both whole cell and acid-insoluble macromolecular fractions. ACVM stimulated the leakage of UV260-absorbing materials, amino acids and potassium ions from resting cells and protoplasts. Phospholipids partially reversed the inhibitory activity of ACVM in a growing culture. These findings suggest that ACVM interact with phospholipids in the cytoplasmic membrane and then interfere with the membrane transport system.