Studies with hydroxyurea. II. Prolonged exposure of Escherichia coli to hydroxyurea.

Rosenkranz, Herbert S. (Columbia University, New York, N.Y.), and Howard S. Carr. Studies with hydroxyurea. II. Prolonged exposure of Escherichia coli to hydroxyurea. J. Bacteriol. 92:178-185. 1966.-Concurrent with an inhibition of the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid, hydroxyurea devitalized Escherichia coli when exposure to the drug was prolonged to more than 3 hr. Active protein synthesis, but not ribonucleic acid (RNA) production, was a prerequisite for this lethal action. These findings are contrasted to thymineless death, which requires RNA synthesis.