Intrinsic energy potential of Mycobacterium lepraemurium essential for growth in NC-5 medium

The intrinsic energy potential of the fastidious mycobacterium, Mycobacterium lepraemurium, essential for growth in axenic liquid medium was determined by ultraviolet irradiation of the inoculum. The growth potential in NC-5 medium of irradiated inocula was measured by an ultrasensitive method of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) using a luciferin-luciferase acceptor system. The results indicate that growth of bacilli ceased when more than one third of the ATP pool in 7 X 10(6) cells was lost. The residual level of ATP is roughly equivalent to that found in 10(5) non-irradiated cells.