Microcalorimetric measurement of the enthalpies of transfer of a series of m-alkoxyphenols from isotonic aqueous solution to escherichia coli cells

Abstract

Enthalpies of interactions of a series of m-alkoxyphenols with non-growing Escherichia coli suspended in a salt solution have been recorded. These data have been analysed on the assumption that the initial relatively rapid endothermic process represented the transfer of solute from aqueous solution to cells (ΔH_trs) and that the subsequent relatively lengthy exothermic process resulted from the biological consequences of the transfer process itself. The derived values are compared with values of ΔH_trs found for transfer of these solutes from water to octan-1-ol, heptane and propylene carbonate.