FIG. 5.

Increase in cell length (filamentation) of B. cereus WSBC 10030 after treatment with sublethal polyP concentrations and reinitiation of cell division by divalent metal cations. (a) Addition of 0.05% polyP to a log-phase culture led to cell elongation (i.e., a dramatic increase in individual cell length). Fifty cells were measured at each time point by using scanning electron microscopy; the error bars indicate the standard deviations of the means. (b) Resumption of cell division and subsequent breakdown of the filaments following addition of 5 mM Ca²⁺ or 5 mM Mg²⁺ (at 4 h; indicated by an arrow in panel a). Panels A to E are phase-contrast micrographs of the same field taken at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after cations were added, respectively (indicated by arrowheads).