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Inability of Decenylsuccinic Acid to protect Escherichia coli against Damage by Freezing

Abstract

CHEMICAL protection against injury due to damage by freezing has been extensively studied by various workers1–8. Recently Kuiper9 reported that decenylsuccinic acid induced resistance to desiccation, cold and frost in young bean plants. When decenylsuccinic acid penetrates into the lipid layer of the membrane of bean root cells it increases water permeability. This permeability was only slightly temperature dependent10. Our laboratory has been interested in the protection against damage by freezing in bacteria111. We obtained samples of decenylsuccinic acid from B. J. Humphrey, Humphrey–Wilkinson, Inc., North Haven, Conn., U.S.A., and investigated the activity of the compound in Escherichia coli cell suspensions exposed to sub-zero temperatures.

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NAKAMURA, M. Inability of Decenylsuccinic Acid to protect Escherichia coli against Damage by Freezing. Nature 210, 113–114 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1038/210113b0

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