Inhibition of methylgalactoside transport in Escherichia coli upon the cessation of unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis.

The activity of the methylgalactoside transport system of E. coli is impaired upon treatment with 3-decynoyl-N-acetylcysteamine, an inhibitor of unsaturated fatty-acid synthesis. Treated cells are unable to be induced for permease activity, while transport sites synthesized before treatment show a regular loss of activity. The inhibition of methylgalactoside transport occurs at a step after translation of the galactose-binding protein, a component of the permease, and appears to be highly specific, since drug-treated cells show normal viability, protein synthesis, and membrane integrity when transport activity is greatly reduced. A second transport system, the galactoside permease, shows significantly less sensitivity to the inhibitor. That the activity of this permease is maintained in the presence of this inhibitor suggests that the inhibitor does not impair energy coupling.