Alkyl-substituted hydroxybenzenes (AHBs), which are auto-inducers of microbial dormancy (d1 factors), were found to stabilize the structure of protein macromolecules and modify the catalytic activity of enzymes. In vitro experiments showed that C6-AHB at concentrations from 10(-4) to 10(-2) M, at which it occurs in the medium as a true solution and a micellar colloid, respectively, nonspecifically inhibited the activity of chymotrypsin, RNase, invertase, and glucose oxidase. C6-AHB-induced conformational alterations in protein macromolecules were due to the formation of complexes, as evidenced by differences in the fluorescence spectra of individual RNase and C6-AHB and their mixtures and in the surface tension isotherms of C6-AHB and trypsin solutions. Data on the involvement of dormancy auto-inducers in the post-translational modification of enzymes and their inhibition will provide further insight into the mechanisms of development and maintenance of dormant microbial forms.