[The role of oleic acid in the process of induced destruction of Escherichia coli M-17].

The influence of oleic acid on the process of the destruction of E. coli, induced by the transfer of the bacteria from the growth medium into solution without nutrient substances and their treatment with oleic acid at a temperature of 45 degrees C, was studied. Oleic acid at a concentration of 200 nmol/ml accelerated the destruction of E. coli in comparison with the control organisms, but did not lead to the significant increase of the final degree of the destruction of biomass. The dynamics of the inclusion of labeled oleic acid into E. coli cell fractions after the induction of autolysis was analyzed. The radioactive label was most actively included into the lipid (chloroform) fraction of bacterial biopolymers. Simultaneously with the destruction of some cells in the population the inclusion of labeled oleic acid into intact cells was found to occur.