[Morpho-functional analysis of isogenic strains of Escherichia coli-- producers of penicillinacylases].

A population of Escherichia coli strains producing penicillinacylase (PA) and differing in the level of their enzyme activity was studied. Their structural-functional analysis showed that selection according to the property of PA production yielded strains with aberrations in the processes of cell division. The population of microbial cells producing PA had a correlation between its morphological composition and enzyme activity, and the two characteristics depended on the conditions under which the strains were cultivated. The highest enzyme activity was exerted by normally dividing cells. A type of colonies optimal for stabilising the level of PA production was determined for the enzyme-producing strain. The structure of cell envelopes, their composition and permeability changed considerably as the ability to synthesize PA increased. The results allow one to specify further rational selection of strains superproducing the enzyme on the basis of changes in the membrane permeability.