[Adenosine-dependent death of Hydrogenomonas eutropha (Alcaligenes eutrophus) H 16 (author's transl)]

Heterotrophic growth with fructose and autotrophic growth with hydrogen and carbon dioxide was entirely inhibited by adenosine at a concentration of 0.6 mg/ml in Hydrogenomonas eutropha (Alcaligenes eutrophus) H 16. Growth inhibition was not accompanied by a detectable uptake of the nucleoside. Adenosine caused a rapid inhibition of protein synthesis, followed by a decrease in nucleic acid formation. Enzyme synthesis was also impared, whilst cell respiration remained uneffected. Adenosin also caused a drastic but temporary decrease in viable cell counts. Cells incubated in presence of adenosine and fructose for several days, however, were no longer susceptable to this nucleoside. Adenosine-dependent growth inhibition turned out to be contingent upon the nature of the organic substrate. Cells growing with succinate, glutamate or peptone were less effected than cells, growing autotrophically or with fructose. No inhibition was observed in fructose-growing cells, if amino acids were also present in the medium. Several other nucleosides tested, did not show such growth inhibition, except desoxyadenosine, which, however, did not effect viable cell counts.