Effect of sodium sulfate and magnesium sulfate on heteropolysaccharide synthesis in gram-negative soil bacteria.

Markovitz, Alvin (University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.) and Susan Sylvan. Effect of sodium sulfate and magnesium sulfate on heteropolysaccharide synthesis in gram-negative soil bacteria. J. Bacteriol. 83:483-489. 1962.-The effect of Na(2)SO(4) and MgSO(4) on heteropolysaccharide biosynthesis has been investigated in gram-negative bacteria isolated from soil. These bacteria may be divided into three arbitrary groups on the basis of the effect of Na(2)SO(4) and MgSO(4) on heteropolysaccharide synthesis: group 1, synthesis of polysaccharides containing uronic acid is inhibited by increasing the concentration of sulfate ion; group 2, synthesis of polysaccharides containing uronic acid is stimulated by sulfate ions; group 3, synthesis of polysaccharide not containing uronic acid is stimulated minimally by Na(2)SO(4).