Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1973 Jun;114(3):1271–1280. doi: 10.1128/jb.114.3.1271-1280.1973

Ultrastructural Study of Poly-β-Hydroxybutyrate Granules from Bacillus cereus

Winifred F Dunlop 1, A W Robards 1
PMCID: PMC285391  PMID: 4123236

Abstract

The freeze-etching technique was used to examine the effects of fracturing and etching on the appearance of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate granules from Bacillus cereus. These granules were examined in extracts isolated by hypochlorite or by sonic treatment, and also in fixed and unfixed intact cells; in the latter case they were compared with granules in thin sections of intact cells. After freeze-fracturing, the diameter of the granules in intact cells was between 240 and 720 nm. The granules consisted of a central core, of diameter between 140 and 370 nm, which occupied less than 50% of the volume of the granule and which was either stretched or removed on fracturing; the core was surrounded by an outer coat which may be bounded by a membrane.

Full text

PDF
1271

Images in this article

1273Image
on p.1273
1274Image
on p.1274
1275Image
on p.1275
1277Image
on p.1277
1278Image
on p.1278
1279Image
on p.1279

Selected References

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

  1. BOATMAN E. S. OBSERVATIONS ON THE FINE STRUCTURE OF SPHEROPLASTS OF RHODOSPIRILLUM RUBRUM. J Cell Biol. 1964 Feb;20:297–311. doi: 10.1083/jcb.20.2.297. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dunlop W. F., Robards A. W. Some artifacts of the freeze-etching technique. J Ultrastruct Res. 1972 Aug;40(3):391–400. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(72)90109-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ellar D. J., Lundgren D. G. Fine structure of sporulation in Bacillus cereus grown in a chemically defined medium. J Bacteriol. 1966 Dec;92(6):1748–1764. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.6.1748-1764.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ellar D., Lundgren D. G., Okamura K., Marchessault R. H. Morphology of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate granules. J Mol Biol. 1968 Aug 14;35(3):489–502. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(68)80009-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. 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]
  6. LUNDGREN D. G., ALPER R., SCHNAITMAN C., MARCHESSAULT R. H. CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY-BETA-HYDROXYBUTYRATE EXTRACTED FROM DIFFERENT BACTERIA. J Bacteriol. 1965 Jan;89:245–251. doi: 10.1128/jb.89.1.245-251.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. LUNDGREN D. G., PFISTER R. M., MERRICK J. M. STRUCTURE OF POLY-BETA-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID GRANULES. J Gen Microbiol. 1964 Mar;34:441–446. doi: 10.1099/00221287-34-3-441. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lickfeld K. G., Achterrath M., Hentrich F. [The interpretation of images of cross fractured frozen-etched and shadowed membranes]. J Ultrastruct Res. 1972 Feb;38(3):279–287. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(72)90005-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MERRICK J. M., LUNDGREN D. G., PFISTER R. M. MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN POLY-BETA-HYDROXYBUTYRATE GRANULES ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS. J Bacteriol. 1965 Jan;89:234–239. doi: 10.1128/jb.89.1.234-239.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. PFISTER R. M., LUNDGREN D. G. ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF POLYRIBOSOMES WITHIN BACILLUS CEREUS. J Bacteriol. 1964 Oct;88:1119–1129. doi: 10.1128/jb.88.4.1119-1129.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. 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]
  12. Remsen C. C. The fine structure of frozen-etched Bacillus cereus spores. Arch Mikrobiol. 1966 Sep 8;54(3):266–275. doi: 10.1007/BF00408999. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Robards A. W., Parish G. R. Freeze-etching. Lab Pract. 1972 Apr;21(4):254–260. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sleytr U. Gefrierätzung verschiedener Stämme von Bacillus sphaericus. Arch Mikrobiol. 1970;72(3):238–251. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. WILLIAMSON D. H., WILKINSON J. F. The isolation and estimation of the poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate inclusions of Bacillus species. J Gen Microbiol. 1958 Aug;19(1):198–209. doi: 10.1099/00221287-19-1-198. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Wang W. S., Lundgren D. G. Poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate in the chemolithotrophic bacterium Ferrobacillus ferrooxidans. J Bacteriol. 1969 Feb;97(2):947–950. doi: 10.1128/jb.97.2.947-950.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. van Gool A. P., Lambert R., Laudelout H. The fine structure of frozen etched nitrobacter cells. Arch Mikrobiol. 1969;69(4):281–293. doi: 10.1007/BF00408570. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES