Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1988 Aug;170(8):3752–3755. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.8.3752-3755.1988

Factors influencing cell shape in the mutans group of streptococci.

L Tao 1, T J MacAlister 1, J M Tanzer 1
PMCID: PMC211357  PMID: 3403512

Abstract

Electron and light microscopic and growth studies of representatives of the diverse species of mutans streptococci revealed the cells to be either bacillary or coccoid in shape. Some strains changed from bacillary to coccoid if the HCO3-/K+ ratio of the media was increased and from coccoid to bacillary if the ratio was decreased. Doubling times of rods and cocci were the same despite an HCO3-/K+ ratio change between 0.008 and 2.84. For strain 10449S, no tested anions or cations substituted for HCO3- or K+ to produce this effect, except for B4O7(2-). Strain 10449S grown at a high B4O7(2-)/K+ ratio became ellipsoid, and this phenomenon was associated with slower doubling times. Up to three incomplete septa could be observed in one rod, but no more than one incomplete septum could be observed in either ellipsoid or spherical cells. Interseptal distances were greatest in rods, shorter in spheres, and shortest in ellipses. All of the above differences were statistically significant (P less than 0.001).

Full text

PDF
3754

Images in this article

3753Image
on p.3753
3754Image
on p.3754

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Canepari P., Lléo M. M., Satta G., Fontana R., Shockman G. D., Daneo-Moore L. Division blocks in temperature-sensitive mutants of Streptococcus faecium (S. faecalis ATCC 9790). J Bacteriol. 1983 Dec;156(3):1046–1051. doi: 10.1128/jb.156.3.1046-1051.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Duchin S., van Houte J. Relationship of Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli to incipient smooth surface dental caries in man. Arch Oral Biol. 1978;23(9):779–786. doi: 10.1016/0003-9969(78)90155-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Frehel C., Ryter A. Electron microscopic cytochemical study of cell-wall polysaccharides in Bacillus subtilis and two strains of Bacillus megaterium. J Ultrastruct Res. 1982 Oct;81(1):66–77. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(82)90041-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Higgins M. L., Shockman G. D. Study of cycle of cell wall assembly in Streptococcus faecalis by three-dimensional reconstructions of thin sections of cells. J Bacteriol. 1976 Sep;127(3):1346–1358. doi: 10.1128/jb.127.3.1346-1358.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. JORDAN H. V., FITZGERALD R. J., BOWLER A. E. Inhibition of experimental caries by sodium metabisulfite and its effect on the growth and metabolism of selected bacteria. J Dent Res. 1960 Jan-Feb;39:116–123. doi: 10.1177/00220345600390010501. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Littleton N. W., Kakehashi S., Fitzgerald R. J. Recovery of specific "caries-inducing" streptococci from carious lesions in the teeth of children. Arch Oral Biol. 1970 May;15(5):461–463. doi: 10.1016/0003-9969(70)90073-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Perch B., Kjems E., Ravn T. Biochemical and serological properties of Streptococcus mutans from various human and animal sources. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand B Microbiol Immunol. 1974 Jun;82(3):357–370. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1974.tb02338.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Swanson J., McCarty M. Electron microscopic studies on opaque colony variants of group A streptococci. J Bacteriol. 1969 Oct;100(1):505–511. doi: 10.1128/jb.100.1.505-511.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Tanzer J. M., Brown A. T., McInerney M. F. Identification, preliminary characterization, and evidence for regulation of invertase in Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 1973 Oct;116(1):192–202. doi: 10.1128/jb.116.1.192-202.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Tao L., Tanzer J. M., MacAlister T. J. Bicarbonate and potassium regulation of the shape of Streptococcus mutans NCTC 10449S. J Bacteriol. 1987 Jun;169(6):2543–2547. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.6.2543-2547.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Terleckyj B., Willett N. P., Shockman G. D. Growth of several cariogenic strains of oral streptococci in a chemically defined medium. Infect Immun. 1975 Apr;11(4):649–655. doi: 10.1128/iai.11.4.649-655.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES