Action of clofoctol on bacterial cell wall synthesis

Clofoctol inhibits in vivo cell wall synthesis of B. subtilis and gives rise to an accumulation of UDP-N-acetyl-muramyl pentapeptide. However, in vitro peptidoglycan synthesis using a particulate membrane preparation is not inhibited by clofoctol. These results suggest that clofoctol does not inhibit a specific enzyme of the cell wall synthesis, and that the inhibition of the cell wall synthesis might be a secondary effect due to a disturbance of the cytoplasmic membrane.