Abstract
The pulsed n.m.r. method at the 90 MHz resonance frequency in the presence of paramagnetic Mn 2+ ions has been used to study the state of water in E. coli cell suspensions under a xenon pressure of 1 MPa at 279 K. It is shown that in these conditions xenon clathrates form in the extracellular medium with rise in the permeability of the cell membranes for water; with use of an isotonic extracellular medium the formation of clathrates leads to the compression and dehydration of the cells of the microorganism. © 1987.