Cytotoxic effects of colicins E1-E5 and K on hamster fibroblasts

As a further model of mammalian tissue cells, Chinese hamster fibroblasts of the stable line V79 were used to check the cytotoxic effects of colicins. The efficiency of plating of cells treated with colicins E1-E5 and with colicin K was followed. The V79 cells were, in general, poorly sensitive to colicins; only colicins E1, E3 and E5 lowered the number of colony-forming cells to some degree. Again, a different action of colicins E1 and K (which is the same in bacteria) was found in eukaryotic cells.