The effect of novobiocin on solvent production by Clostridium acetobutylicum.

Cells of Clostridium acetobutylicum treated with novoblocin, a DNA gyrase inhibitor, produced higher butyrate levels and lower solvent levels with acetone being the most affected. Seven enzyme activities involved in acid and solvent production were analyzed. Among them, only CoA transferase, required for acetone formation and acid uptake, experienced a significant decrease in activity. As in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, DNA from C. acetobutylicum became less negatively supercoiled in the early stationary phase (solventogenic stage), as shown by analysis of linking number of a reporter plasmid by agarose gel electrophoresis in the presence of chloroquine.