1.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother
; 8(1): 34-7, 1975 Jul.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-169728
ABSTRACT
Proteus mirabilis is not killed by polymyxin B, normal serum, or sodium deoxycholate. Exposure to polymyxin B renders the cells susceptible to killing by the latter two agents. The data suggest that this synergism is due to polymyxin B-induced surface changes. The results point out an inadequacy of existing methods of screening for antibiotics; they fail to detect agents which, while showing no in vitro effect on growth, may alter a resistant organism so that it becomes more susceptible to other antimicrobials or host defense mechanisms. A method is described which can be used to detect such cell surface-modifying agents.