Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1971 Jan;105(1):361–368. doi: 10.1128/jb.105.1.361-368.1971

Ultrastructural Changes Associated with Activation and Germination of Bacillus cereus T Spores

Tadayo Hashimoto 1, S F Conti 2
PMCID: PMC248363  PMID: 4993322

Abstract

The ultrastructural changes occurring during defined stages of the transition of dormant Bacillus cereus T spores into heat-sensitive forms were investigated. The coat of the heat-activated spores displayed conspicuous striations across its middle layer. Electron microscopy of thin sections of heat-activated spores revealed the presence in the spore of a layer consisting of hexagonally oriented subunits. It was demonstrated that the subcoat region, but not the cortex, disappears rapidly during germination of B. cereus T spores. The fibrous structures apparently associated with the spore coat remain virtually unchanged during the entire course of activation and germination.

Full text

PDF
361

Images in this article

363Image
on p.363
364Image
on p.364
365Image
on p.365
366Image
on p.366
367Image
on p.367

Selected References

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

  1. Aronson A. I., Fitz-James P. C. Biosynthesis of bacterial spore coats. J Mol Biol. 1968 Apr 14;33(1):199–212. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(68)90288-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Crewther W. G., Fraser R. D., Lennox F. G., Lindley H. The chemistry of keratins. Adv Protein Chem. 1965;20:191–346. doi: 10.1016/s0065-3233(08)60390-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Freer J. H., Levinson H. S. Fine structure of Bacillus megaterium during microcycle sporogenesis. J Bacteriol. 1967 Aug;94(2):441–457. doi: 10.1128/jb.94.2.441-457.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Friedman B. A., Dugan P. R., Pfister R. M., Remsen C. C. Fine structure and composition of the zoogloeal matrix surrounding Zoogloea ramigera. J Bacteriol. 1968 Dec;96(6):2144–2153. doi: 10.1128/jb.96.6.2144-2153.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. GERHARDT P., RIBI E. ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE EXOSPORIUM ENVELOPING SPORES OF BACILLUS CEREUS. J Bacteriol. 1964 Dec;88:1774–1789. doi: 10.1128/jb.88.6.1774-1789.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. HASHIMOTO T., BLACK S. H., GERHARDT P. Development of fine structure, thermostability, and dipicolinate during sporogenesis in a bacillus. Can J Microbiol. 1960 Apr;6:203–212. doi: 10.1139/m60-022. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hashimoto T., Frieben W. R., Conti S. F. Germination of single bacterial spores. J Bacteriol. 1969 Jun;98(3):1011–1020. doi: 10.1128/jb.98.3.1011-1020.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hashimoto T., Frieben W. R., Conti S. F. Microgermination of Bacillus cereus spores. J Bacteriol. 1969 Dec;100(3):1385–1392. doi: 10.1128/jb.100.3.1385-1392.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Holt S. C., Leadbetter E. R. Comparative ultrastructure of selected aerobic spore-forming bacteria: a freeze-etching study. Bacteriol Rev. 1969 Jun;33(2):346–378. doi: 10.1128/br.33.2.346-378.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. KELLENBERGER E., RYTER A., SECHAUD J. Electron microscope study of DNA-containing plasms. II. Vegetative and mature phage DNA as compared with normal bacterial nucleoids in different physiological states. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1958 Nov 25;4(6):671–678. doi: 10.1083/jcb.4.6.671. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. KEYNAN A., EVANCHIK Z., HALVORSON H. O., HASTINGS J. W. ACTIVATION OF BACTERIAL ENDOSPORES. J Bacteriol. 1964 Aug;88:313–318. doi: 10.1128/jb.88.2.313-318.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Moberly B. J., Shafa F., Gerhardt P. Structural details of anthrax spores during stages of transformation into vegetative cells. J Bacteriol. 1966 Jul;92(1):220–228. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.1.220-228.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. REYNOLDS E. S. The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron-opaque stain in electron microscopy. J Cell Biol. 1963 Apr;17:208–212. doi: 10.1083/jcb.17.1.208. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Somerville H. J., Delafield F. P., Rittenberg S. C. Urea-mercaptoethanol-soluble protein from spores of Bacillus thuringiensis and other species. J Bacteriol. 1970 Feb;101(2):551–560. doi: 10.1128/jb.101.2.551-560.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Walker P. D. Symposium on bacterial spores: I. Cytology of spore formation and germination. J Appl Bacteriol. 1970 Mar;33(1):1–12. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1970.tb05229.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES