Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1966 Jul;92(1):229–240. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.1.229-240.1966

Altered Sporulation and Respiratory Patterns in Mutants of Bacillus subtilis Induced by Acridine Orange

K F Bott 1, R Davidoff-Abelson 1
PMCID: PMC276220  PMID: 4957434

Abstract

Bott, K. F. (The University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.), and R. Davidoff-Abelson. Altered sporulation and respiratory patterns in mutants of Bacillus subtilis induced by acridine orange. J. Bacteriol. 92:229–240. 1966.—The addition of acridine orange to vegetative cultures of Bacillus subtilis induces the formation of sporulation mutants at a frequency of 20% or greater. These mutants are grouped into seven categories which reflect their different morphological properties. They are altered in their vegetative metabolism, as indicated by abnormal growth on synthetic media. Sporulation of these mutants is impaired at several levels, all of which are stable upon repeated subculturing. The initial stages of sporulation which require no increased metabolic activity (proteolytic enzyme activity and antibiotic production) are functional in all strains, but glucose dehydrogenase activity, an enzyme associated with early synthetic functions in spore synthesis, is significantly reduced. Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase is slightly depressed. It is suggested that acridine orange interacts with a cellular constituent controlling respiration and consequently prevents an increased metabolic activity that may be associated with normal spore synthesis.

Full text

PDF
229

Images in this article

233Image
on p.233

Selected References

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

  1. Anagnostopoulos C., Spizizen J. REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSFORMATION IN BACILLUS SUBTILIS. J Bacteriol. 1961 May;81(5):741–746. doi: 10.1128/jb.81.5.741-746.1961. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BACH J. A., SADOFF H. L. Aerobic sporulating bacteria. I. Glucose dehydrogenase of Bacillus cereus. J Bacteriol. 1962 Apr;83:699–707. doi: 10.1128/jb.83.4.699-707.1962. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BERGERE J. L., HERMIER J. ETUDE DES FACTEURS INTERVENANT DANS LA PRODUCTION MASSIVE DES SPORES DE BACILLUS SUBTILIS. Ann Inst Pasteur (Paris) 1964 Feb;106:214–235. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. BERNLOHR R. W., NOVELLI G. D. BACITRACIN BIOSYNTHESIS AND SPORE FORMATION: THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ROLE OF AN ANTIBIOTIC. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1963 Oct;103:94–104. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(63)90014-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DOI R. H., HALVORSON H. Comparison of electron transport systems in vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus cereus. J Bacteriol. 1961 Jan;81:51–58. doi: 10.1128/jb.81.1.51-58.1961. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. FARMER J. L., ROTHMAN F. TRANSFORMABLE THYMINE-REQUIRING MUTANT OF BACILLUS SUBTILS. J Bacteriol. 1965 Jan;89:262–263. doi: 10.1128/jb.89.1.262-263.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HANSON H. M., WITOSLAWSKI J. J., CAMPBELL E. H. REVERSIBLE DISRUPTION OF A WAVELENGTH DISCRIMINATION IN PIGEONS FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATION OF PHENIPRAZINE. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1964 Nov;6:690–695. doi: 10.1016/0041-008x(64)90119-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HILL R. B., Jr, BENSCH K. G., KING D. W. Photosensitization of nucleic acids and proteins. The photodynamic action of acridine orange on living cells in culture. Exp Cell Res. 1960 Oct;21:106–117. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(60)90351-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hirota Y. THE EFFECT OF ACRIDINE DYES ON MATING TYPE FACTORS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1960 Jan;46(1):57–64. doi: 10.1073/pnas.46.1.57. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. NAKATA H. M., HALVORSON H. O. Biochemical changes occurring during growth and sporulation of Bacillus cereus. J Bacteriol. 1960 Dec;80:801–810. doi: 10.1128/jb.80.6.801-810.1960. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Rogolsky M., Slepecky R. A. Elimination of a genetic determinant for sporulation of Bacillus subtilis with acriflavin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1964 Jun 15;16(3):204–208. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(64)90326-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. SCHAEFFER P., IONESCO H. [Contribution to the genetic study of bacterial sporogenesis]. C R Hebd Seances Acad Sci. 1960 Dec 19;251:3125–3127. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. SZULMAJSTER J. BIOCHIMIE DE LA SPOROG'EN'ESE CHEZ B. SUBTILIS. Bull Soc Chim Biol (Paris) 1964;46:443–481. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Teresa G. W., Teresa N. L., Melius P. Influence of light on the action of acridine orange and proflavine on respiration in Escherichia coli. Can J Microbiol. 1965 Dec;11(6):1028–1029. doi: 10.1139/m65-138. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. WATANABE T. Infective heredity of multiple drug resistance in bacteria. Bacteriol Rev. 1963 Mar;27:87–115. doi: 10.1128/br.27.1.87-115.1963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES