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

Ultrastructural and Chemical Studies on Wall-deficient Forms, Spheroplasts and Membrane Vesicles from Mycobacterium aurum

“…To increase the lytic effect of D-cycloserine, we used growth-inhibitory amino acids. Glycine has been used previously in the case of mycobacteria (Sato et al, 1965(Sato et al, , 1966Adamek et al, 1969;Winder & MacNaughton, 1978). Glycine is incorporated into the uridine nucleotide of Staphylococcus aureus in place of L-alanine, resulting in inhibition of growth (Strominger & Birge, 1965).…”

“…There have been reports of spheroplast formation in some fast-growing mycobacteria and M . bovis BCG grown in the presence of lysozyme and glycine (Sato et al, 1965;Adamek et al, 1969). Protoplasts of M .…”

Inhibition of Growth and Cell Wall Synthesis of Mycobacterium smegmatis by D‐Threonine

“…These effects were similar to the effects of glycine' (1,5,6), which is an inhibitor of D-alanyl-D-alanine synthetase which is essential for synthesis of the cell wall mucopeptide precursor (2,8). Inhibition of the cell wall synthesis caused by D-threonine resembled that of D-serine in inhibiting the formation of diaminopimelic acid of the cell wall mucopeptide (9).…”

Effect of Lysozyme on Mycobacteria

“…One possibility may be the dividing septum, because the snapping division of mycobacteria may produce more loose and thin cell wall structures at the dividing septum than at other parts of the cell wall. Adamek et al (1) observed that the primary effect of lysozyme was the formation of round structures located predominantly at both ends of the mycobacterial cells. They stated that mycobacteria had to be exposed to lysozyme longer than one generation period in order to induce spheroplasts.…”