Inhibition of cell division in Myxococcus xanthus by mecillinam

Increase in cell numbers is inhibited by adding mecillinam to vegetative cultures ofMyxococcus xanthus. However, both cell length and volume continue to increase in the presence of the antibiotic. Different size classes of cells increase in proportion to their initial size. Incorporation ofmeso-diamino[14C]pimelic acid into peptidoglycan and [3H]uridine into RNA is not immediately affected by mecillinam. It is suggested that mecillinam inhibits the formation of new sites of wall synthesis, and these are necessary for cell division to occur.