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Effect of R Factors on Rifampicm Resistance in E. coli

Abstract

THE bactericidal effect of rifampicin, a semi-synthetic rifamycin, is due to its action on DNA-dependent RNA polymerase1 and all rifampicin-resistant mutants of Escherichia coli contain an altered RNA polymerase with an increased resistance to rifampicin in vitro2–4. While studying a possible curing effect of rifampicin on E. coli R factors, we observed that R+ recombinants of some rif-r mutants are more sensitive to rifampicin (Table 1). Of the cells harbouring certain R factors, less than 1% are able to form colonies on rifampicin-supplemented agar, while with certain others there is no detectable effect.

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ROMERO, E., RIVA, S., FIETTA, A. et al. Effect of R Factors on Rifampicm Resistance in E. coli. Nature New Biology 234, 56–58 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio234056a0

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