Ultrastructural organization of spheroplasts induced in Mycobacterium sp. smegmatis by lysozyme or glycine

Spheroplast formation of Mycobacterium smegmatis and morphological aspects of their reversion to the bacillary form

Cell wall-deficient forms (spheroplasts) of Mycobacterium smegmatis strain P53 were prepared by combined treatment with glycine, lysozyme, and lytic enzyme no. 2 as the spheroplasting agents. Quantitative mass conversion to spherical forms was effected by pretreatment of the intact cells with 1.2% glycine in nutrient broth, followed by transfer to spheroplasting medium containing the above agents. Two apparent modes of reversion to the bacillary form were observed under electron microscopy. The first one was initiated by budding from the spheroplasts. The buds gradually elongated to become the mycelial form, which showed branching, septation, and fragmentation. The second resulted from the intracellular formation of tiny cells, possibly the elementary bodies, and their release from the spheroplasts.

Multiple drug resistance in Mycobacterium avium: is the wall architecture responsible for exclusion of antimicrobial agents?

Whole cells of Mycobacterium avium, characterized by their negative response in the nine biochemical tests used for mycobacterial identification in our laboratory, turned positive for nitrate reductase, Tween-80 hydrolysis, beta-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, penicillinase, and trehalase after their wall portion was removed to yield spheroplasts. This suggested that the negative results in most of the biochemical procedures were caused by the exclusion mechanism at the wall level. Preliminary transmission and scanning electron microscopic studies showed differences at wall level between laboratory-maintained opaque, dome-shaped (SmD) and host-recycled smooth, transparent (SmT) colony type variants of M. avium and suggested the presence of an outer regularly structured layer in SmT variants. Comparative ultrastructural studies utilizing different polysaccharide coloration methods confirmed the presence of an outer polysaccharide layer in SmT variants which was probably related to their enhanced pathogenicity for experimental animals and drug resistance as compared to that of SmD variants. These findings are discussed with respect to multiple drug resistance, virulence, and gene expression of M. avium.

Effect of lysozyme on mycobacteria

The effect of lysozyme on the growth of several strains of mycobacteria was examined at pH 5.0-7.0 in Dubos medium containing various concentrations of lysozyme (100-2,000 microgram/ml). Mycobacterium smegmatis and M. phlei were susceptible to lysozyme at pH 5.0-7.0. The effect of lysozyme was marked between pH 6.0 and 7.0 and the colony counts were reduced to approximately 0.1-10% after incubation with 100 micrograms of lysozyme per ml for 48 hr. At pH 5.0, 10-40% of the organisms survived treatment with 1,000 micrograms of lysozyme per ml for 48 hr. M. bovis strain BCG, M. tuberculosis, and M. fortuitum appeared to be more resistant to lysozyme than M. smegmatis and M. phlei. M. smegmatis and M. phlei did not contain detectable amounts of poly-L-glutamic acid, although the susceptibility of the mycobacteria to lysozyme did not correlate with the amounts of the polymer in the cell walls. The role of lysozyme in animal infections with so-called saprophytic mycobacteria is discussed.

Protoplast formation of selected Mycobacterium smegmatis mutants by lysozyme in combination with methionine

Lysozyme-sensitive mutants of Mycobacterium smegmatis, isolated by nitrosoguanidine treatment, have been converted into protoplasts in a nutritionally enriched medium containing lysozyme and DL-methionine.