The Genetic Control of Spore Formation in Bacilli

Balassa, G

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-65241-7_4

Cited by 31 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 122 publications

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“…Consistent with results seen by many laboratories, our controls showed that the nucleoid morphology of B. subtilis cells changes from irregular spheres and dumbbells to axial filaments during early stationary phase (1,15) (Fig. 1).…”

supporting

confidence: 91%

“…It is clear that the elongation of the nucleoid noted here in the latter stages of exponential growth is an unusual observation in the microbial world. That elongation occurs with greater frequency as cells approach the end of exponential growth raises the question of whether the phenomenon is related to the axial filament formation designated stage I of spore formation (1,15). This question can be addressed by proposing a hypothetical scheme of how nucleoid elongation could occur upon chloramphenicol treatment as a culture approaches stationary phase and how this process could be related to the normal course of endospore development.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The counteridea that axial filament formation is not a stage of sporulation cannot at present be excluded. It is based on the observation that all spoO mutants examined form elongated nucleoids (1,15). In addition, the process is not specific to presporulating cells, because the formation of elongated nucleoids, in late-exponential-phase cells treated with chloramphenicol, was observed in a medium that does not support sporulation (Luria broth) (5).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Axial filament formation in Bacillus subtilis: induction of nucleoids of increasing length after addition of chloramphenicol to exponential-phase cultures approaching stationary phase

et al. 1993

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When chloramphenicol was added to a culture of Bacillus subtilis in early exponential growth, microscopic observation of cells stained by 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole showed nucleoids that had changed in appearance from irregular spheres and dumbbells to large, brightly stained spheres and ovals. In contrast, the addition of chloramphenicol to cultures in mid-and late exponential growth showed cells with elongated nucleoids whose frequency and length increased as the culture approached stationary phase. The kinetics of nucleoid elongation after the addition of chloramphenicol to exponential-phase cultures was complex. Immediately after treatment, the rate of nucleoid elongation was very rapid. The nucleoid then elongated steadily for about 4 min, after which the rate of elongation decreased considerably. Nucleoids of cells treated with 6-(p-hydroxyphenylazo)-uracil (an inhibitor of DNA synthesis) exhibited the immediate rapid elongation upon chloramphenicol treatment but not the subsequent changes. These observations suggest that axial filament formation during stationary phase (stage I of sporulation) in the absence of chloramphenicol results from changes in nucleoid structure that are initiated earlier, during exponential growth.Many investigators have sought to describe the arrangement of the nucleoplasm in the procaryotic cell. The subject has remained elusive, partly because the nucleoid undergoes rearrangement during the most gentle manipulations (e.g., rapid filtration and temperature changes, etc. [8]). Thus, after decades of effort, only a few noncontroversial statements can be made: the nucleoid of the exponential-phase cell is localized primarily in the center of the cell but does extend to the periphery of the cytoplasm (2,7,8,12,13); in stationary-phase cells, the nucleoid becomes confined to the center, and this results in a decrease in the density of this portion of the cell (3,6,21).Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in nucleoid structure. In part, this has resulted from the development of cryofixation techniques for electron microscopy (13), the availability of DNA-specific fluorescent stains such as 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) (11,17,19,25), and a rich supply of mutants whose phenotypes include characteristics that could be, or are, related to chromosome structure and function. In this light we have developed a method which uses image analysis to characterize the nucleoid in terms of size, shape, and distribution in a cell as the cell proceeds from exponential-to stationary-phase growth. The distinct internal organization of Bacillus subtilis as it undergoes symmetric and asymmetric division offers a model system for exploring nucleoid structure and function during exponential growth and post-exponential-phase differentiation.MATERIALS AND METHODS Growth conditions. B. subtilis BR151 trpC2 lys-3 metB5 (source, F. E. Young) was used for this study. Bacteria were grown in modified Schaeffer's sporulation medium (26). Cultures were grown aerobically (medium-to-flask volume ...

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supporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Axial filament formation in Bacillus subtilis: induction of nucleoids of increasing length after addition of chloramphenicol to exponential-phase cultures approaching stationary phase

et al. 1993

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“…Mature Bacillus spores are characteristically highly resistant to environmental stress such as exposure to UV irradiation, organic solvents and heat (Balassa, 1971). We pursued the further possibility that GS contributes to one or more of these spore properties.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The synthesis of these products has long served as a marker for the early events ('stage 0') of spore formation (Balassa, 1971). Yet the natural roles of the peptide antibiotics, particularly in sporulation, are still unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sporulation and Spore Properties of Bacillus brevis and its Gramicidin S-negative Mutant

Piret¹,

Demain²

1983

Microbiology

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1309The function(s) of the peptide antibiotic, gramicidin S, in its producer, Bacillus brevis Nagano, was investigated. Particular attention was paid to the possible role of gramicidin S in sporulation and spore properties. Sporulation was similar in both the gramicidin S-producing parental strain and a gramicidin S-negative mutant of this strain. Mature parental and mutant spores were equally resistant to UV irradiation, solvents (reported previously) and heat. Thus, the lack of gramicidin S synthesis impairs none of these properties. Contrary to results reported by others, we also found no difference in heat resistance between spores of B . brevis ATCC 8185 and its linear gramicidin-negative mutant, MI.

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Chemistry and Biology of the Enterobacterial Common Antigen (ECA)

Mayer

Schmidt

1979

Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology

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The Genetic Control of Spore Formation in Bacilli

Cited by 31 publications

References 122 publications

Axial filament formation in Bacillus subtilis: induction of nucleoids of increasing length after addition of chloramphenicol to exponential-phase cultures approaching stationary phase

Axial filament formation in Bacillus subtilis: induction of nucleoids of increasing length after addition of chloramphenicol to exponential-phase cultures approaching stationary phase

Sporulation and Spore Properties of Bacillus brevis and its Gramicidin S-negative Mutant

Chemistry and Biology of the Enterobacterial Common Antigen (ECA)

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