Abstract
rac-1-Dodecylglycerol (DDG) and penicillin G (Pen G) act synergistically to dramatically lower the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of each other in four Gram-positive bacteria studied. At one-half its MIC, DDG ether lowered the MIC of Pen G 10- to 80-fold. Under the same conditions, Pen G lowered the MIC of DDG 4- to 7.5-fold.
The critical micelle concentration of DDG was determined to be 7.93 mg/ml (0.0305 mM), which is approximately two-fold greater than the minimum inhibitory concentration of DDG determined in the presence of a protein-free chemically defined medium. This finding suggests that DDG is not killing bacteria through its detergent action. Pen G also did not alter the critical micelle concentration of DDG, which indicates that the synergism between these two agents is not related to micelle formation.
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Ved, H.S., Gustow, E. & Pieringer, R.A. Synergism between penicillin G and the antimicrobial ether lipid,rac-1-dodecylglycerol, acting below its critical micelle concentration. Lipids 25, 119–121 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02562216
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02562216