Changes in cell size and shape in thymine requiring Escherichia coli associated with growth in low concentrations of thymine

Abstract

Thymine auxotrophs of three unrelated strains of E. coli (K-12, B/r, and 15) were grown in media containing various concentrations of thymine. During steady-state growth conditions, cell volume increased as thymine concentration decreased but, in contrast to previous reports, this change was due to an increase in cell length without change in cell diameter.