[Effect of antiseptics and redox-cycling agents on Corynebacterium ammoniagenes and related microorganisms in relation to synthesis of a new macroergic compound].

Sublethal concentration of the antiseptic composition Desoxon-1 was shown to provoke in cells of Corinebacterium ammoniagenes in a liquid medium the biosynthesis and accumulation of a novel macroergic 2-methylbutane-1,2,3,4-tetraol-2,4-cyclopyrophosphate. This substance is also synthesized when C. ammoniagenes is cultivated in a solid agar medium supplemented with benzylviologen. Cells preloaded with the new cyclopyrophosphate maintain its content when treated with 4% phenol, DP-2, Desoxon-1 or boiled and heated in an autoclave. Experiments with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and BCG revealed the ability of these bacteria to grow in a medium supplemented with BV++ possibly due to ability of synthesis of a new cyclopyrophosphate which was shown to correlate with resistance toward redox-cycling drugs. Accumulation of polyphosphates in the control cells of M. tuberculosis was illustrated by 31P-NMR spectroscopy and disappearance of the polyphosphates during cultivation in a BV(++)-supplemented medium. No signal of the new cyclopyrophosphate was yet registered in cells of M. tuberculosis by 31P-NMR.