Biochemistry of spores of aerobic bacilli with special reference to germination

Reactivative action of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or dipicolinic acid on inactive glucose dehydrogenase obtained from heated spores of Bacillus subtilis

Partially purified inactive glucose dehydrogenase obtained from spores which were heated at 87 or 90 C for 30 min is converted to an active from by the addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, dipicolinic acid, or some salts. The molecular weight of the inactive glucose dehydrogenase in the heated spores is about one-half of that of the active glucose dehydrogenase in the intact resting spores. The possibility is discussed that the active glucose dehydrogenase in the intact resting spores divides into subunits and is converted to stable and inactive form during heating of spores at a particular range of temperature (87 to 90 C).

Immunological homology between crystal and spore protein of Bacillus thuringiensis

Spore suspensions containing about 0.3% crystals and crystal suspensions containing about 0.1% spores were obtained from cultures of Bacillus thuringiensis by extraction with a two-phase system. Both preparations were tested for the presence of contaminating material from vegetative cells and were judged to be clean. Solutions of spore protein were obtained by extracting broken spores with phosphate buffer followed by extraction with either alkali- or urea-mercaptoethanol. The alkali spore or urea spore extracts had the same isoelectric point as crystal protein solubilized with these reagents. An antiserum prepared against alkali crystal solution precipitated alkali or urea spore extracts and crystal solutions but not phosphate spore extracts or extracts of whole cells. Lines of identity between spore and crystal precipitates were observed by using the Ouchterlony double-diffusion technique. Absorption of the antiserum with an excess of urea spore extract caused a disappearance of the precipitin bands originating from the spore protein and the homologous bands from the crystal protein. The results suggest that the crystal and endospore contain one or more common proteins.

REACTIONS OF SPORES AND CELLS OF BACILLUS CEREUS WITH PYRIMIDINE RIBOSIDES

Lawrence , N. L. (University of Alabama, Birmingham) and Yun-Chuan Tsan . Reaction of spores and cells of Bacillus cereus with pyrimidine ribosides. J. Bacteriol. 83: 228–233. 1962.—Cytidine deaminase and uridine ribosidase were essentially inactive in heat-resistant spores of Bacillus cereus T, but the activity increased as the spores germinated and proceeded to the vegetative form. The activity of germinated spores on cytidine was evident only after several hours lag, but then was nearly equal to that of vegetative cells. Cytosine deaminase was absent from all these preparations, but deoxycytidine was deaminated at nearly the same rate as cytidine. In the absence of added phosphate, cytidine was converted to uracil by intact vegetative cells more completely than was uridine.

SPORE GERMINATION AND SPOROGENESIS IN BACILLUS MEGATERIUM1

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