Abstract
A study was made of a phenomenon, previously reported, in whichBacillus sphaericus failed to sporulate in the usual peptone media, but would sporulate in these media when grown in association withErwinia atroseptica.
Pure culture studies withB. sphaericus indicated that the stimulus driving the cells toward further vegetative growth and the resulting failure of the cells to sporulate was associated with the peptide fraction of peptone media; inhibition of sporulation could be reversed by reduction of the peptone level of the medium or by replacement of the peptone with known amino acids, with known amino acids and short-chain peptides, or with “complete” hydrolysates of casein.
Population and sporulation studies were performed onB. sphaericus cultured inE. atroseptica spent medium and on mixed cultures of the two organisms. A variety of population and sporulation responses were obtained through alteration of the chemical and physical nature of the media byE. atroseptica, cultured alone or in mixed culture withB. sphaericus.
It is suggested that removal of “pro-vegetative” peptides byE. atroseptica is responsible for the enhancement of sporulation observed inB. sphaericus in peptone media.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brady, R. J. 1957. The enhancement of sporulation inBacillus sphaericus when grown in association withErwinia atroseptica. Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park.
Brady, R. J. andPelczar, M. J., Jr. 1957. Microbial interactions. II. The enhancement of sporulation inBacillus sphaericus byErwinia atroseptica. Bacteriol. Proc.1957: 57–58.
Brady, R. J., Chan, E. C. S. andPelczar, M. J., Jr. 1961. Sporulation ofBacillus sphaericus grown in association withErwinia atroseptica. J. Bacteriol.81: 725–729.
Brunstetter, B. C. andMagoon, C. A. 1932. Studies on bacterial spores. III. A contribution to the physiology of spore production inBacillus mycoides. J. Bacteriol.24: 85–122.
Chan, E. C. S. 1960. A microbial interaction: studies on the enhancement of sporulation inBacillus sphaericus byErwinia atroseptica. Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park.
Chan, E. C. S. andPelczar, M. J., Jr. 1960. Microbial interactions: characterization ofErwinia atroseptica filtrate enhancing sporulation inBacillus sphaericus. Bacteriol. Proc.1960: 61.
Curran, H. R. 1957. The mineral requirements for sporulation.In H. O. Halvorson (ed.), Spores. American Institute of Biological Sciences, Washington, D.C.
Deom, J. etMortelmans, J. 1953. Influence de la concentration en peptone sur la culture et la sporulation deBacillus anthracis. Ann. Inst. Pasteur85: 671–674.
Foster, J. W. 1956. Morphogenesis in bacteria: some aspects of spore formation. Quart. Rev. Biol.31: 102–118.
Foster, J. W., Hardwick, W. A. andGuirard, B. 1950. Antisporulation factors in complex organic media. I. Growth and sporulation studies onBacillus larvae. J. Bacteriol.59: 463–470.
Habeeb, A. F. S. A. 1960. A study of bacteriological media: the examination of peptides in casamin E. Can. J. Microbiol.6: 237–240.
Hardwick, W. A., Guirard, B. and Foster, J. W. 1951. Antisporulation factors in complex organic media. II. Saturated fatty acids as antisporulation factors. J. Bacteriol.61: 145–151.
Knight, B. C. J. G. andProom, H. 1950. A comparative survey of the nutrition and physiology of mesophilic species in the genusBacillus. J. Gen. Microbiol.4: 508–538.
Mitchell, P. H. 1946. A textbook of biochemistry, p. 97. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York.
Phillips, A. W. andGibbs, P. A. 1961. Techniques for the fractionation of microbiologically active peptides derived from casein. Biochem. J.81: 551–556.
Power, D. A. 1962. Population and sporulation studies ofBacillus sphaericus grown in association withErwinia atroseptica. Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park.
Roberts, J. L. andBaldwin, I. L. 1942. Spore formation byBacillus subtilis in peptone solutions altered by treatment with activated charcoal. J. Bacteriol.44: 653–659.
Tarr, H. L. A. 1932. The relation of the composition of the culture medium to the formation of endospores by aerobic bacilli. J. Hyg.32: 535–543.
Williams, O. B. 1931. Bacterial endospore formation in media of varying biologic value. Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med.28: 615–617.
Williams, R. J. 1942. A textbook of biochemistry, 2nd ed., p. 92–93. D. Van Nostrand Co., New York.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
From a thesis submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, by the senior author, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph. D. degree.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Power, D.A., Pelczar, M.J. Microbial interactions: Population and sporulation studies ofBacillus sphaericus grown in association withErwinia atroseptica . Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 30, 97–108 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02046707
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02046707