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Effect of prolonged cultivation in a chemostat under nitrogen limitation on the morphology and ultrastructure ofBacillus subtilis

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Abstract

Cells ofBacillus subtilis A32 grown in a chemostat under nitrogen limitation display morphological changes after long-term cultivation. Bacillary rods are transformed into irregular spherical forms. A general chemical analysis of the normal and of the altered cells was carried out. The spherical cells were studied by electron microscopy in ultrathin sections. Differences in the arrangement of the superficial layers and a damaged mechanism of regular division were observed. The spherical forms revert to rods after removing the limitation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electron Microscopy and Department of Technical Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague 4

    J. Čáslavská, J. Kodešová & I. Horáková

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  1. J. Čáslavská
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  2. J. Kodešová
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  3. I. Horáková
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Čáslavská, J., Kodešová, J. & Horáková, I. Effect of prolonged cultivation in a chemostat under nitrogen limitation on the morphology and ultrastructure ofBacillus subtilis . Folia Microbiol 17, 126–131 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02877910

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02877910

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