4,4'-isopropylidine-bis(2-isopropyl)phenol, a new inhibitor for cell wall formation of Bacillus subtilis.

4,4'-Isopropylidine-bis[2-isopropyl]phenol was found to possess antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria and some fungi, whereas it had no effect on gram-negative organisms. The drug has a potent inhibitory action on the synthesis of cell wall mucopeptides of Bacillus subtilis by inhibiting the enzyme d-glutamate ligase, which is responsible for the incorporation of d-glutamic acid into uridine 5'-diphosphate-muramyl-l-alanine. The drug had a weak lytic effect on protoplasts and inhibited protein synthesis, whereas no significant effect on the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acid was found.