Pesticin-dependent generation of somotically stable spheroplast-like structures.

Homogenous pesticin, a bacteriocin produced by Yersinia pestis, promoted rapid dose-dependent killing of Escherichia coli phi but permitted residual generation of cell mass. Both growing cells and those blocked in net synthesis of nucleic acids or protein were converted by pesticin to osmotically stable spheroplast-like forms. Morphology and viability of cells starved for fermentable carbohydrate were not affected by pesticin. Similar spheroplast-like structures were formed from sensitive cells of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Y. pestis.