Binding of chloramphenicol and its acetylated derivatives to Escherichia coli ribosomal subunits.

Chloramphenicol-acetylated derivatives (1-monoacetoxy-; 3-monoacetoxy-; 1,3-diacetoxy-chloramphenicol), produced by a wild type Escherichia coli strain carrying an R factor, have been extracted and purified. None of the acetylated derivatives has been found to bind to E. coli ribosomal subunits.