The Effect of Oxidation‐Reduction Potential on Spore Germination, Outgrowth, and Vegetative Growth of Clostridium tetani, Clostridium butyricum, and Bacillus subtilis

Abstract

Spores of Clostridium tetani germinated in liver broth with +580 m V as the starting Eh value, and those of Clostridium butyricum germinated in liver broth with an initial Eh of +400 mV regardless of the presence or absence of a liquid paraffin covering.Spores of Bacillus subtilis germinated in liver broth with -100 m V as the starting Eh value.Also, it was found that there are two ranges of starting Eh values for germination and vegetative growth of Cl. tetani, Cl. butyricum, and B. subtilis. In the first range these spores germinated and grew, but in the second range they only germinated and then died without outgrowth.It was reported by Knight and Fildes that spores of Clostridium tetani did not grow in medium with a pH of 7.0-7.65 unless the starting Eh was as low as -0.11 volt (7). A microbiology text (9) cited these results and it was generally believed that spores of Cl. tetani germinate only under anaerobic conditions. Hachisuka (5), however, reported that spores of Cl. tetani germinated, and died without developing into vegetative cells, under aerobic conditions. Recently, Shoesmith and Holland (8) also showed that spores of Cl. tetani germinated in synthetic medium under aerobic conditions. The present study was undertaken to determine the exact oxidation-reduction (OIR) potential required for spore germination, outgrowth, and vegetative growth of Cl. tetani, Clostridium butyricum, and Bacillus subtilis, and to examine the morphological changes in the spores which germinated at 0IR potentials unsuitable for vegetative growth. MATERIALS AND METHODSOrganisms. Cl. tetani Riku 3 (National Institute of Health Japan Collection) subcultured in liver broth, Cl. butyricum Miyairi subcultured in GAM medium 803

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Multiplication of Orally Administered Clostridium butyricum in Rats

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