Mechanism of action of bicyclomycin

Microscopic examination of cultures of Escherichia coli exposed to bicyclomycin revelaed elongated or spheroplast-like cells. At the lethal level, bicyclomycin was shown to inhibit the synthesis of RNA and protein in the growing cells of E. coli 15 THU, whereas DNA and lipid synthesis were not significantly affected. However, the antibiotic did not block RNA and protein synthesis in vitro. Bicyclomycin was observed to inhibit the synthesis of envelope proteins more markedly than that of cytoplasmic proteins. The synthesis of two major envelope proteins was more sensetive to bicyclomycin than that of the other envelope proteins. One (peak I), which was inhibited to the greatest extent, seemed to be identical with a bound form of lipoprotein, and the other (peak V) with a free form of lipoprotein. Bicyclomycin exhibited inhibitory effects on the exclusive biosynthesis of the lipoprotein in histidine-starved cells of E. coli 15 THU. The biosynthesis of the bound form of lipoprotein was more profoundly inhibited by bicyclomycin than that of the free form. These results indicate that the primary action of bicyclomycin may be due to the interference with the biosynthesis of lipoprotein, and its assembly to peptidoglycan.