bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PHYSIOLOGY OF THE ENTEROCOCCI AS RELATED TO THEIR TAXONOMY
Authors: Deibel R. H. , Lake Donald E. , Niven C. F.
Published: January 2020

Deibel
, R. H. (American Meat Institute Foundation, Chicago, Ill.),
Donald E. Lake, and C. F. Niven, Jr.
Physiology of the enterococci as related to their taxonomy. J. Bacteriol.
86:
1275–1282. 1963—Studies on a collection of enterococci isolated from diverse sources have confirmed the existence of two distinct species, namely,
Streptococcus faecalis
and
Streptococcus faecium
. In contrast with
S. faecium, S. faecalis
characteristically ferments melezitose, sorbitol, glycerol (anaerobically), citrate, and gluconate; fails to ferment arabinose and melibiose; has strong reducing capacities as demonstrated by prompt reduction of litmus in milk or tetrazolium in an agar medium; initiates growth on an agar medium containing 0.04% potassium tellurite; does not require folic acid for growth; and does not produce strong greening in blood agar.
S. liquefaciens
and
S. zymogenes
differ from
S. faecalis
only in their proteolytic capacities and, therefore, deserve only varietal status. Some
S. faecalis
and
S. faecium
strains are proteolytic when tested on agar media.
S. durans
differs from
S. faecium
only in its inability to ferment arabinose and mannitol, and the failure of most strains to ferment sucrose. Therefore, it should be considered as a variety of
S. faecium
. It is recommended that the term “enterococcus” be used only when referring to
S. faecalis
and
S. faecium
, and their respective varieties.
NUTRITION OF CELLULAR SLIME MOLDS III
Authors: Hohl Hans-Rudolf , Raper Kenneth B.
Published: January 2020

Hohl, Hans-Rudolf
(University of Wisconsin, Madison),
and Kenneth B. Raper
. Nutrition of cellular slime molds. III. Specific growth requirements of
Polysphondylium pallidum
. J. Bacteriol.
86:
1314–1320. 1963.—Soluble media for the axenic growth of certain strains of
Polysphondylium pallidum
are described. One of the media, referred to as the complex medium, was composed of 2% tryptose and 4% serum albumin in an inorganic salt solution. Cell densities of up to 10
7
myxamoebae per ml were obtained. Supplementing this medium with amino acids, vitamins, nucleic acid bases, and glucose resulted in growth of strain Pan-17 up to 3 × 10
7
cells per ml with a generation time during the log phase of about 4.5 hr. A defined medium was subsequently developed that allowed growth of strain Fr-47 up to 2 × 10
6
to 5.5 × 10
6
myxamoebae per ml in the presence of 1% serum albumin. The base medium contained the following essential nutrients: six amino acids (glycine, methionine, lysine, isoleucine, tryptophan, and tyrosine), riboflavine, purines and pyrimidines, and a carbohydrate (dextrose) dissolved in an inorganic salt solution containing trace elements.
HEMOLYSIS OF RABBIT ERYTHROCYTES BY PURIFIED STAPHYLOCOCCAL ALPHA-TOXIN I
Authors: Cooper Louis Z. , Madoff Morton A. , Weinstein Louis
Published: January 2020

Cooper, LouisZ. (New England Center Hospital, Boston, Mass.),Morton A. Madoff, and Louis Weinstein. Hemolysis of rabbit erythrocytes by purified staphylococcal alpha-toxin: I. Kinetics of the lytic reaction. J. Bacteriol.87:127–135. 1964.—The hemolytic activity of purified staphylococcal alpha-lysin was found to be directly proportional to toxin concentration and inversely related to the log concentration of rabbit erythrocytes. Activity was directly proportional to the duration of lysin-red cell incubation until inactivating effects of heat and dilution became significant; this linear relationship was prolonged by incubation at a lower temperature and addition of bovine serum albumin. Study of the time course of hemolysis at different alpha-lysin concentrations revealed a family of sigmoid curves characterized by a prelytic lag phase and a period of rapid linear release of hemoglobin. The duration of prelytic lag varied inversely with the quantity of toxin, but the rate of hemolysis was directly proportional to toxin and red-cell concentrations. The presence of bovine serum albumin decreased the prelytic lag, prolonged the linear phase of the reaction, and increased total hemolysis. In the range of 25 to 46 C, the prelytic lag period became shorter with increase in temperature; at 48 to 52 C, it was markedly prolonged and hemolysis was strikingly diminished. As the incubation temperature was increased from 25 to 52 C, there was a decrease in the degree of maximal hemolysis, presumably due to thermal inactivation of alphalysin. The rate of hemolysis, when measured to 50% hemolysis, was optimal between 34 and 42 C but, when determined to the 10% level, was greatest between 40 and 46 C. The features of the hemolytic reaction suggest that staphylococcal alpha-toxin has the characteristics of an enzyme.
UNIDENTIFIED GROWTH FACTOR FOR A LACTIC ACID BACTERIUM
Authors: Weinman Donald E. , Morris George K. , Williams William L.
Published: January 2020

Weinman, Donald
E. (University of Georgia, Athens),
George K. Morris, and William L. Williams
. Unidentified growth factor for a lactic acid bacterium. J. Bacteriol.
87:
263–269. 1964.—
Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Georgia strain required an unidentified growth factor, named Georgia bulgaricus factor (GBF), when grown on a semisynthetic basal medium. Aqueous extracts of torula yeast and beef liver were the best sources of GBF. Adenine, ribonucleic acid (RNA), alkaline digests of RNA, and Mg
++
also stimulated growth, but to a considerably lesser extent than liver and yeast extracts. Several purines, pyrimidines, and related compounds also promoted growth responses in individual experiments, but not consistently. Intact deoxynucleic acid (DNA), deoxyadenylic acid (dAMP), and deoxyguanylic acid (dGMP) inhibited growth. The DNA and dAMP inhibitions were fully reversed by crude sources of GBF, while dGMP inhibition was only partially reversed. RNA reversed DNA inhibition to a small extent. GBF was stable to heat at pH 2.5 to 11 and to prolonged light exposure. It was destroyed by heating at pH 1.0. The GBF activity moved as a single component in paper chromatography. It was firmly adsorbed on charcoal and poorly soluble in organic solvents. A concentrate, 28 times more potent than liver extract, was prepared by prolonged paper chromatography. All known growth factors and biological compounds readily available were assayed for GBF activity, none of which gave a response similar to the crude extracts. Final proof that a new growth factor exists must await definite identification of the active compounds.
EFFECT OF DIETARY ANTIBIOTICS UPON COLIFORM BACTERIA AND LACTOBACILLI IN THE INTESTINAL TRACT OF URIC ACID-FED CHICKS
Authors: Bare L. N. , Wiseman R. F. , Abbott O. J.
Published: January 2020

Bare
, L. N. (University of Kentucky, Lexington), R. F.
Wiseman, and O. J. Abbott
. Effect of dietary antibiotics upon coliform bacteria and lactobacilli in the intestinal tract of uric acid-fed chicks. J. Bacteriol.
87:
329–331. 1964.—Male chicks (1-day-old; Vantress X Arbor Acre) were fed a basal glucose-soybean oil meal diet, a 2% uric acid-containing diet with and without 5 mg/lb of zinc bacitracin and 20 mg/lb of procaine penicillin G, and one supplemented with the antibiotics only. After 4 weeks, the chicks receiving the uric acid without antibiotics showed a weight depression. The presence of antibiotics in the ration with the uric acid reversed this growth depression. Bacteriological and chemical analyses of the contents of the small intestine revealed an increase in numbers of uricolytic
Aerobacter
spp. and an increased degradation of uric acid in the tract of the “uric-antibiotic”-fed chicks. The counts of lactobacilli were always lowest in this group of chicks
PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF
BRUCELLA
SPHEROPLASTS
Authors: Hines William D. , Freeman Bob A. , Pearson Gary R.
Published: January 2020

Hines, William
D. (University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.),
Bob A. Freeman, and Gary R. Pearson
. Production and characterization of
Brucella
spheroplasts. J. Bacteriol.
87:
438–445. 1964.—Spheroplasts of
Brucella
were induced by glycine, penicillin, and a combination of the two. These spheroplasts lacked cell-wall endotoxin but did react with antiserum prepared against cell wall and against whole cells. Phase-contrast photomicrographs and electron micrographs are presented, which show no morphological difference between the protoplasts produced by penicillin and by glycine. The glycine and glycine-penicillin spheroplasts were osmotically sensitive, would not reproduce, and only a small percentage reverted to the bacillary form. Penicillin spheroplasts would not reproduce and were not osmotically sensitive. Penicillin spheroplasts showed significant reversion when induced by low concentrations of penicillin, but the rate of reversion decreased with increasing antibiotic concentration. Penicillin and glycine spheroplasts adsorbed brucellaphage at a reduced rate compared with normal
Brucella
, but spheroplasts produced by the combined action of penicillin and glycine failed to demonstrate brucellaphage adsorption.
EFFECT OF CHELATING AGENTS ON THE GROWTH OF
ESCHERICHIA COLI
IN SEAWATER
Authors: Jones Galen E.
Published: January 2020

Jones, Galen
E. (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, La Jolla). Effect of chelating agents on the growth of
Escherichia coli
in seawater. J. Bacteriol.
87:
483–499. 1964.—
Escherichia coli
did not grow at 37 C, or grew only after a prolonged lag phase in filter-sterilized basal seawater medium (synthetic or natural seawater supplemented with glucose, NH
4
Cl, and K
2
HPO
4
). When this basal medium was enriched with 0.01% or less organic matter, such as casein hydrolysate, peptone, or yeast extract, growth always occurred after a short lag phase. Adding 10
−5
m
cysteine or autoclaving the seawater gave a similar effect. A variety of organic chelating agents (histidine, glycine, methionine, glycylglycine, 8-hydroxyquinoline, thioglycolic acid,
o
-phenanthroline, disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, etc.) reversed the toxicity of filter-sterilized basal seawater medium in concentrations predictable from stability constants. Even metal-complexing agents such as Na
2
S
2
O
3
, Na
2
S, and NaCN in appropriate concentrations reversed toxicity. The quality of the distilled water and the treatment of glassware had a significant effect on the growth of
E. coli
in basal seawater medium. It was concluded that iodate is probably not the toxic substance for
E. coli
in seawater, since relatively high concentrations were stimulatory. The inhibition resulting from the individual salts of synthetic seawater was proportional to their concentration; NaCl was most inhibitory. This toxicity is believed to be derived from trace impurities in the reagent-grade chemicals used to prepare synthetic seawater. Evidence was also found for the toxicity of heavy metals in natural seawater. Heavy metals in seawater appear to inhibit growth but not respiration.
EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE RATE OF GERMINATION IN
BACILLUS CEREUS
Authors: Knaysi Georges
Published: January 2020

Knaysi, Georges
(Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.). Effect of temperature on the rate of germination in
Bacillus cereus
. J. Bacteriol.
87:
619–622. 1964.—By use of the change of the spores from bright to dark, when observed in dark contrast with a phase microscope, as a criterion for the incipience (first stage) of germination, and increase in the volume of the spore as a criterion for the second stage, it was found that the two stages differed in their cardinal temperatures. In the strain investigated, the first stage has a maximum of about 59, an optimum of 30, and a minimum estimated to be in the neighborhood of −1 C. The corresponding temperatures for the second stage are 44, 35, and 10 C. Spores exposed to temperatures above the maximum for the first stage have a tendency to turn dark at temperatures suitable for germination, and this tendency is not immediately arrested when the spores are exposed to pH 3.2 to 3.4 at 6 C. The potential value of the differences between the cardinal temperatures of the two stages for the control of sporeformers is discussed.
OXYGEN INHIBITION OF GROWTH OF
MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS
Authors: Gottlieb Sheldon F. , Rose Noel R. , Maurizi Jerome , Lanphier Edward H.
Published: January 2020

Gottlieb
, S. F. (Linde Division, Union Carbide Corporation, Tonawanda, N.Y.),
Noel R. Rose, Jerome Maurizi, and Edward H. Lanphier
. Oxygen inhibition of growth of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. J. Bacteriol.
87:
838–843. 1964.—Continuous or intermittent exposure to 3 atm of oxygen in the presence or absence of 40 mm of Hg CO
2
resulted in marked delay or inhibition of growth of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. This inhibition was more pronounced with newly inoculated cultures, as compared to young, actively growing cultures. Oxygen inhibition of growth was observed on both Lowenstein-Jensen and blood agar media. Bacteriostatic effects of oxygen are a direct function of exposure time. A more marked effect of oxygen was observed in the presence of isoniazid, streptomycin, or
p
-aminosalicyclic acid.
SELECTIVE MEDIUM FOR CARBOHYDRATE-UTILIZING TRANSDUCTANTS OF
STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS
Authors: Murphey W. H. , Rosenblum E. D.
Published: January 2020

Murphey
, W. H. (The University of Texas, Dallas),
and E. D. Rosenblum
. Selective medium for carbohydrate-utilizing transductants of
Staphylococcus aureus
. J. Bacteriol.
87:
1198–1201. 1964.—The composition and properties of modified eosin-methylene blue agar are described. It is an efficient, selective medium for isolation of carbohydrate-utilizing staphylococci from large, nonutilizing populations. The medium has been used to measure the rate of transduction of mannitol fermentation and to demonstrate genetic recombination in mannitol-negative mutants of
Staphylococcus aureus
.
DECREASED PERMEABILITY AS THE MECHANISM OF ARSENITE RESISTANCE IN
PSEUDOMONAS PSEUDOMALLEI
Authors: Beppu Michiko , Arima Kei
Published: January 2020

Beppu, Michiko
(University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan),
and Kei Arima
. Decreased permeability as the mechanism of arsenite resistance in
Pseudomonas pseudomallei
. J. Bacteriol.
88:
151–157. 1964.—The mechanism of arsenite resistance of
Pseudomonas pseudomallei
strain 54, isolated from soil, was studied by use of radioactive arsenite. Arsenite resistance was found to be related to decreased permeation of arsenite into the cells.
P. pseudomallei
54 cells can accumulate arsenite, but the organisms grown adaptively in the presence of arsenite accumulate only a small amount of the drug. Arsenite accumulated in the cells can exchange freely with extracellular arsenite. The apparent dissociation constant of the “bacterium-arsenite complex” was calculated as 5.9 × 10
−5
m
for the sensitive cells and 6.3 × 10
−4
m
for the resistant ones. No significant difference was observed in the arsenite capacity (maximal uptake) of the cells (2 × 10
−3
mmoles per 30 mg of dry cells). The uptake of arsenite by the sensitive cells was markedly dependent on temperature, but it was not inhibited by 2,4-dinitrophenol (5 × 10
−3
m
) and sodium azide (10
−2
m
). Omission of the substrate, α-ketoglutarate, from the incubation mixture had no inhibitory effect on arsenite uptake. Treatment of the resistant cells with cetyl-trimethylammonium bromide facilitated the uptake of arsenite by the cells. When the sensitive cells accumulating radioactive arsenite were fractionated by the Schmidt-Thanhauser-Schneider method, the large amount of intracellular arsenite was found in the cold perchloric acid-insoluble hot acid-extractable fraction. The arsenite complex with cellular macromolecular constituents cannot be solubilized by treatment with ribonuclease, deoxyribonuclease, and trypsin.
PURIFICATION AND MOLECULAR WEIGHT DETERMINATION OF
CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM
TYPE E TOXIN
Authors: Gerwing Julia , Dolman Claude E. , Reichmann M. E. , Bains Hardial S.
Published: January 2020

Gerwing, Julia
(The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada),
Claude E. Dolman, M. E. Reichmann, and Hardial S. Bains
. Purification and molecular weight determination of
Clostridium botulinum
type E toxin. J. Bacteriol.
88:
216–219. 1964.—A method was developed whereby type E botulinus toxin can be obtained in a highly purified state by elution through acidified diethylaminoethyl-cellulose columns. The material thus isolated appears to be electrophoretically and ultracentrifugally homogeneous. A molecular weight of 18,600 was calculated for the toxin.
THE GENUS
VEILLONELLA
III
Authors: Rogosa Morrison , Bishop Ferial S.
Published: January 2020

Rogosa, Morrison
(National Institute of Dental Research, Bethesda, Md.),
and Ferial S. Bishop
. The genus
Veillonella
. III. Hydrogen sulfide production by growing cultures. J. Bacteriol.
88:
37–41. 1964.—The conditions necessary for H
2
S production by 105 strains of
Veillonella
, from a variety of sources and comprising seven anti-genic groups, are presented and discussed. All strains, during 1 to 2 days of growth, produced H
2
S in a defined medium supplemented with proper amounts of
l
-cysteine,
l
-cystine, reduced glutathione, thiosulfate, thiocyanate, or thioglycolate. Erratic or negative results were obtained with some commonly used media containing yeast extract and casein digest, but which were not supplemented with appropriate substrates for H
2
S production. Previous literature descriptions of
V. alcalescens
as not producing H
2
S are incorrect; H
2
S production, or the previously presumed lack of it, cannot be used as a criterion differentiating
V. alcalescens
from
V. parvula
.
PLAQUE ASSAY PROCEDURE FOR COLORADO TICK FEVER VIRUS
Authors: Deig E. Frank , Watkins H. M. S.
Published: January 2020

Deig, E. Frank(University of California, Berkeley),and H. M. S. Watkins. Plaque assay procedure for Colorado tick fever virus. J. Bacteriol.88:42–47. 1964.—A reproducible plaque assay procedure is described for the quantitation of Colorado tick fever virus in a cell line established from embryonic hamster tissue. Under the best conditions, plaques approximately 4 mm in diameter were formed after incubation at 37 C of 4 to 6 days. Several environmental variables in the procedure were studied. Efficiency was increased markedly by combining the virus during adsorption with serum proteins, and by carrying out this step at 25 C rather than at 37 C. The overlay medium used contained metabolites which promoted cell viability for periods greater than 1 week, and allowed plaques to develop. Plaque formation was relatively insensitive to a variation in pH between 7.1 and 8.1 (with optimal concentrations of bicarbonate). However, plaque development was inhibited with medium containing greater than 0.22% bicarbonate (at optimal pH), or when the initial pH was less than 7.0.
EFFECT OF POLYAMINE STRUCTURE ON GROWTH STIMULATION AND SPERMINE AND SPERMIDINE CONTENT OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA
Authors: Guirard Beverly M. , Snell Esmond E.
Published: January 2020

Guirard, Beverly
M. (University of California, Berkeley),
and Esmond E. Snell
. Effect of polyamine structure on growth and spermine and spermidine content of lactic acid bacteria. J. Bacteriol.
88:
72–80. 1964.—Growth from small inocula of six species of lactobacilli was stimulated by addition of spermine or spermidine to a defined medium; none of four streptococcal species showed this effect.
Lactobacillus casei
was stimulated to the greatest extent. Several homologues and analogues partially duplicated the growth-promoting effects of spermidine; one inactive homologue,
N
-(3-aminopropyl)-1,6-hexanediamine, competitively inhibited the growth response to spermidine and spermine, and reduced or eliminated the response to several weakly active compounds. A procedure for separation of spermine and spermidine, and their estimation by bioassay with
L. casei
, was developed and applied to the estimation of these compounds in bacterial cells. Both compounds are present in lactic acid bacteria in amounts much smaller (1 to 5%) than those found in
Escherichia coli
. Addition of spermine or spermidine to the growth medium results in large accumulations in the cells, and the two amines show limited interconvertibility. Putrescine does not increase the cell content of either spermine or spermidine. Presence of the inhibitor prevents accumulation of the growth-stimulating amines. The polyamines appear to fill at least two valuable roles in the cell, one relatively nonspecific in its structural requirements, and one filled only by spermine and spermidine or their nearest homologues.
N
-(3-aminopropyl)-1,6-hexanediamine appears to prevent the latter function by competition for an appropriate cellular receptor.
QUALITY CHANGES IN VACCINIA VIRUS DURING ADAPTATION TO GROWTH IN CULTURES OF EARLE'S L CELLS
Authors: Sharp D. G. , Sadhukhan P. , Galasso G. J.
Published: January 2020

Sharp, D. G. (University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill), P.Sadhukhan, and G. J. Galasso. Quality changes in vaccinia virus during adaptation to growth in cultures of Earle's L cells. J. Bacteriol.88:309–312. 1964.—Although particle production improves rapidly with passage of vaccinia (mouse neurotropic strain) virus in L cells, plaque production improves much more slowly. Beyond the passage when maximal particle yield was reached (18th), further improvement in plaquing quality of 1,000-fold was observed. Particle count and plaque titrations showed that plaquing efficiency improves at comparable rates in either plaque-to-plaque passage on plates or in tube cultures inoculated at high multiplicity. The host cell is probably exerting some influence in addition to that of the selection of mutants from the initial population.
NUTRITION OF “ADENINELESS” AUXOTROPHS OF YEASTS
Authors: Demain Arnold L.
Published: January 2020

Demain, Arnold
L. (Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories, Division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J.). Nutrition of “adenineless” auxotrophs of yeasts. J. Bacteriol.
88:
339–345. 1964.—Nutritional studies on 29 “adenineless” yeast strains were carried out. In no case could guanine, xanthine, or their ribonucleosides or ribonucleotides be used to satisfy the purine requirement. The cultures fell into three nutritional groups: group A, absolute purine requirement satisfied by adenine or hypoxanthine; group B, stimulatory purine requirement (leaky) satisfied by adenine or hypoxanthine; group C, absolute purine requirement satisfied only by adenine. Although adenosine, adenylic acid (AMP), inosine, and inosinic acid (IMP) could not be used by the absolute mutants, the leaky mutants were stimulated by these compounds. The rapid growth on adenine observed with members of all three nutritional groups was delayed by guanine. No inhibition was observed with guanosine or guanylic acid (GMP). Guanine and its derivatives did not inhibit growth of wild-type
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
. The slow growth of the leaky mutants in unsupplemented medium was inhibited by guanine, guanosine, and GMP. The results were interpreted as follows. (i) Yeasts lack GMP-reductase. (ii) Group A and B yeasts are blocked before IMP; group C yeasts lack one of the enzymes leading from IMP to AMP. (iii) The absolute mutants cannot take ribonucleotides or ribonucleosides into the cell and cannot break down these compounds extracellularly to the free base; the leaky mutants can slowly use extracellular nucleosides and nucleotides. (iv) Guanine competes with adenine for entry into the cell. (v) Guanine inhibits de novo synthesis of AMP. The inhibition is probably a weak feedback effect which can only be demonstrated with leaky strains which synthesize purines at suboptimal rates.
ROLE OF MARINE FUNGI IN THE BIOCHEMISTRY OF THE OCEANS IV
Authors: Sguros Peter L. , Simms Jacqueline
Published: January 2020

Sguros, Peter
L. (University of Miami, Miami, Fla.),
and Jacqueline Simms
. Role of marine fungi in the biochemistry of the oceans. IV. Growth responses to seawater inorganic macroconstituents. J. Bacteriol.
88:
346–355. 1964.—The filamentous ascomycete
Halosphaeria mediosetigera
and the deuteromycete
Culcitalna achraspora
were gravimetrically characterized by growth curves in natural and artificial seawater media. Response to growth media employing these diluents was very similar, and stationary phases of both cultures showed autolysis. The organisms grew at all concentrations of seawater, but growth maxima were observed between 20 and 60%. Neither seawater was able to reduce the requirement for yeast extract. Glass-distilled water was slightly better than artificial seawater for the survival of homogenized, washed, resting mycelia over long periods at 4 C. Regardless of suspending medium, this treatment did not appreciably alter the regenerative vigor of inocula. Qualitative and quantitative variations of artificial seawater, without rigid exclusion of inorganic traces from experimental media, demonstrated separate growth requirements for Na, K, Mg, Ca, and SO
4
. Only K and Ca appeared nontoxic at seawater concentrations, however. Some evidence of Na antagonism by Mg was obtained. Responses to test ions were best observed in the absence of seawater amounts of NaCl. Reactions of these generically distinct fungi to most experimental manipulations were markedly alike. Both fungi appeared to be appropriately labeled “marine,” judging by criteria currently in general use.
ENDOGENOUS FACTOR IN SPOROGENESIS IN BACTERIA II
Authors: Kerravala Zarrine J. , Srinivasan V. R. , Halvorson H. Orin
Published: January 2020

Kerravala, Zarrine
J. (University of Illinois, Urbana), V. R.
Srinivasan, and H. Orin Halvorson
. Endogenous factor in sporogenesis in bacteria. II. Growth and sporulation of
Bacillus subtilis
. J. Bacteriol.
88:
374–380. 1964.—The presence of an endogenous factor in
Bacillus subtilis
which could initiate sporogenesis in suspensions of washed vegetative cells was demonstrated. The inability to obtain a culture of vegetative cells, relatively free from spores, by the “active culture” technique necessitated the use of the “continuous culture” method. The investigations on the continuous cultivation of this organism, to obtain a steady-state population of actively growing vegetative cells, resulted in certain observations which gave an insight into the nature of sporogenesis. Growth studies of the organism under these conditions showed that there was a rise in viable cell numbers, until a maximal population was reached. This was maintained at a steady-state level for sometime; on further incubation, there was a reduction in cell numbers, and consequently the steady state could not be maintained any longer. Spore counts showed that the spore fraction of the total population increased on prolonged incubation. The commitment to sporulation appeared to have caused a reduction in the growth rate of the population, which was experimentally demonstrated by a decline in cell numbers. In contrast, when
B. cereus
strain T. was grown as a continuous culture, it could be maintained as a steady-state population of vegetative cells, for longer periods, like a nonsporeformer (e.g.,
Escherichia coli
). This difference in behavior could be attributed to the fact that whereas
B. subtilis
can sporulate in the presence of nutrients,
B. cereus
strain T. cannot do so until the medium has been depleted of nutrients.
PEPTIDES AND OTHER NITROGEN SOURCES FOR GROWTH OF
BACTEROIDES RUMINICOLA
Authors: Pittman K. A. , Bryant M. P.
Published: January 2020

Pittman
, K. A. (Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Md.),
and M. P. Bryant
. Peptides and other nitrogen sources for growth of
Bacteroides ruminicola
. J. Bacteriol.
88:
401–410. 1964.—Representative strains of
Bacteroides ruminicola
were found to utilize peptide nitrogen or ammonia nitrogen, but not to utilize significant amounts of free amino acid nitrogen or the nitrogen from a variety of other low molecular weight compounds for growth. All strains grew well in a defined medium containing glucose, minerals, B-vitamins, heme, volatile fatty acids, methionine, and cysteine, with ammonia as the main nitrogen source. Methionine and cysteine were required by some strains. The only compounds found to replace ammonia as the main nitrogen source were a few proteins; tryptic digests of protein; peptide-rich fractions of Sephadex G-25 fractionated tryptic digests of casein; and the octapeptides, oxytocin and vasopressin. Most of the nitrogen present in these compounds was utilized. However, the organism did not utilize nitrogen from any of 12 dipeptides, triglycylglycine, glutathione, or mixtures of free amino acids. Possible reasons for the inability of
B. ruminicola
to utilize low molecular weight nitrogen compounds are discussed.
ULTRAVIOLET MICROSCOPY OF THE VACUOLE OF
SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE
DURING SPORULATION
Authors: Svihla G. , Dainko J. L. , Schlenk F.
Published: January 2020

Svihla
, G. (Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Ill.), J. L.
Dainko, and F. Schlenk
. Ultraviolet microscopy of the vacuole of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
during sporulation. J. Bacteriol.
88:
449–456. 1964.—Normal cells of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
and cells containing, in their vacuoles, large quantities of
S
-adenosylmethionine were induced to sporulate. In the latter case, the strong ultraviolet absorption of the compound permitted photomicrographic observation of cytological detail. Chromatographic and spectrophotometric analyses of cell extracts supplemented the cytological studies. The vacuole is abolished at the onset of sporulation, and its contents may be observed temporarily in the intersporular space. As sporulation progresses, the material is discharged into the culture medium. Sporulation of both types of cells also leads to a release of nucleic acid fragments into the culture medium.
ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MESOSOME LOSS AND THE STABLE L STATE (OR PROTOPLAST STATE) IN
BACILLUS SUBTILIS
Authors: Ryter Antoinette , Landman Otto E.
Published: January 2020

Ryter, Antoinette
(Institut Pasteur, Paris, France),
and Otto E. Landman
. An electron microscope study of the relationship between mesosome loss and the stable L-state (or protoplast state) in
Bacillus subtilis
. J. Bacteriol.
88:
457–467. 1964.—In a prior publication, it was postulated that inability of protoplasts to restart cell-wall synthesis and cell division and the inability of stable mass-conversion L forms to return to the bacillary state were both equivalent and both due to the interruption of a membrane-associated reaction sequence. It was further postulated that this reaction sequence might reside in the mesosome. In the present publication, it is shown by means of electron microscopy of thin sections that protoplasts and L forms do not contain mesosomes. The sequence of events leading to loss of the mesosomes during protoplasting is as follows. Soon after lysozyme addition, the mesosomes are extruded from the cell interior into the space between cell wall and cytoplasmic membrane. Mesosome fragments in the form of small vesicles gather at the poles of the cells and are released, along with intact protoplasts, when the wall fragments. (Sudden shift of bacilli to hypertonic environment also causes extrusion and fragmentation of mesosomes, but this damage is later repaired.) In intact bacilli, mesosomes are in contact with both the peripheral membrane and nuclear material. Upon extrusion of the mesosomes, a direct attachment between nuclear material and cytoplasmic membrane is observed. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-membrane attachment may play a role in the control of DNA replication.
Bacillus subtilis
L-colonies consist of irregularly shaped bodies of varying sizes, bounded only by a membrane. Many of the smaller bodies do not contain nuclear material, and many of the large ones appear inviable. Division is accomplished by a disorganized-appearing constriction process. There are no septa.
PURIFICATION AND ACTIVITY OF PROTEINASE OF
STREPTOCOCCUS FAECALIS
VAR.
LIQUEFACIENS
Authors: Shugart Lee R. , Beck Raymond W.
Published: January 2020

Shugart, Lee
R. (University of Tennessee, Knoxville)
and Raymond W. Beck
. Purification and activity of proteinase of
Streptococcus faecalis
var.
liquefaciens
. J. Bacteriol.
88:
586–590. 1964.—A proteolytic enzyme from
Streptococcus faecalis
var.
liquefaciens
was purified 480-fold by ammonium sulfate fractionation and treatment with calcium phosphate gel. Approximately 20% of the original enzyme activity was recovered in the purified fraction. Optimal enzyme activity was found to be at pH 7.6 and 35 C. The enzyme is apparently more susceptible to heat denaturation when complexed with substrate than when heated in the absence of substrate. Michaelis-Menten constants were found to be 0.655% for hemoglobin and 0.133% for casein. Apparent energies of activation on these substrates were calculated to be 9,060 and 12,020 cal, respectively.
INTRASPECIFIC AND INTERSPECIFIC TRANSFORMATION IN STREPTOCOCCI
Authors: Perry Dennis , Slade Hutton D.
Published: January 2020

Perry, Dennis
(Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Ill.),
and Hutton D. Slade
. Intraspecific and interspecific transformation in streptococci. J. Bacteriol.
88:
595–601. 1964.—Interspecific transformation reactions, employing streptomycin resistance as a marker, were performed with eight strains of streptococci belonging to three serological groups (F, H, and O) and one ungroupable (UG) strain. Generally, autotransformation (within the same strain) was most efficient. Homotransformation (between different strains of the same serological group), however, was sometimes as efficient or slightly better. Heterotransformation (between different serological groups) yielded the least number of transformants or none at all. The rate of transformation of different strains varied from 2.0 × 10
−7
to 7.6 × 10
−3
. Group H streptococci exhibited the highest rate of autotransformation, followed by groups F and O, and strain UG. The results of heterotransformation reactions revealed that a genetic relationship exists between various strains of different serological groups. No transformation, however, occurred between F and O strains, indicating a lack of genetic homology between these serological groups of streptococci. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), isolated by physical and enzymatic methods from a group O and a UG strain, failed to induce transformation. DNA from these strains, however, significantly inhibited the transforming ability of other DNA preparations. Heat and mechanical shear resulted in a marked decrease in this inhibitory property.
EPISOME-MEDIATED TRANSFER OF DRUG RESISTANCE IN ENTEROBACTERIACEAE VII
Authors: Watanabe Tsutomu , Nishida Hiroshi , Ogata Chizuko , Arai Toshihiko , Sato Sachiko
Published: January 2020

Watanabe, Tsutomu
(Keio University, Tokyo, Japan),
Hiroshi Nishida, Chizuko Ogata, Toshihiko Arai, and Sachiko Sato
. Episome-mediated transfer of drug resistance in Enterobacteriaceae. VII. Two types of naturally occurring R factors. J. Bacteriol.
88:
716–726. 1964.—Naturally occurring R factors are classified into two types,
fi
+
and
fi
−
, depending on their
fi
characters. The term
fi
is an abbreviation of fertility inhibition and
fi
−
and
fi
−
mean, respectively, the presence and absence of suppression of the functions of the sex factor F of
Escherichia coli
K-12. It was found that
fi
−
R factors reduce the efficiency of plating of phages λ and T
1
in K-12;
fi
+
R factors did not have this inhibitory action. One of the
fi
−
R factors reduced the efficiency of plating of phage T
7
as well. Phages λ and T
1
underwent host-induced modifications in the host carrying some
fi
−
R factors. At least two types of
fi
−
R factors were recognized by the types of their restriction and host-induced modification of these phages. CaCl
2
exhibited antagonistic actions against the restrictions of phages λ and T
1
by
fi
−
R factors. Transduction of the ability to ferment galactose with HFT lysates of λ was reduced by
fi
−
R factors. Ultraviolet induction of λ was not affected by any R factors. Furthermore, adsorption of phages λ and T
1
was not altered by the presence of any R factors. From these results, we concluded that the suppression of progeny formation of these phages by
fi
−
R factors is due to some step(s) after adsorption of the phages to the bacteria. Superinfection immunity and mutual exclusion were found between two different
fi
+
R factors but not between
fi
+
and
fi
−
R factors. The two different
fi
−
R factors were frequently genetically recombined. but
fi
+
and
fi
−
R factors were not genetically recombined, as indicated by findings of independent transfer of these R factors by conjugation and by transduction from the donors having these two R factors. It was assumed from these findings that
fi
+
and
fi
−
R factors are considerably different episomes having different resistance-transfer factors.
IDENTITY OF THE PINK-PIGMENTED METHANOL-OXIDIZING BACTERIA AS
VIBRIO EXTORQUENS
Authors: Stocks Peter K. , McCleskey C. S.
Published: January 2020

Stocks, Peter K.
(Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge),
and C. S. McCleskey
. Identity of the pink-pigmented methanol-oxidizing bacteria as
Vibrio extorquens
. J. Bacteriol.
88:
1065–1070. 1964.—Pink-pigmented bacteria isolated from enrichment cultures of methane oxidizers were found to possess similar morphological, cultural, and physiological characteristics. All the strains utilized methanol, formate, oxalate, succinate, glycerol, and benzene as sole carbon sources; methanol, formate, and glycerol afforded best growth. Most strains utilized fructose and ribose; other carbohydrates tested were not available as carbon and energy sources. There was strain variation in the use of hexane, heptane,
n
-propanol,
n
-butanol, acetate, and propionate. Methane, ethane,
n
-propane, and
n
-butane were not utilized. Our isolates, and
Pseudomonas methanica
of Harrington and Kallio (not the methane-dependent
P. methanica
of Dworkin and Foster),
Pseudomonas
AM1 of Peele and Quayle,
Pseudomonas
PRL-W4 of Kaneda and Roxburgh, and
Protaminobacter ruber
den Dooren de Jong are nearly identical with
Vibrio extorquens
(Bassalik) Bhat and Barker, and should be considered the same species.
VITAMIN K-MEDIATED ELECTRON TRANSFER IN
BACILLUS SUBTILIS
Authors: Downey R. J.
Published: January 2020

Downey, Ronald J.
(University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Ind.). Vitamin K-mediated electron transfer in
Bacillus subtilis
. J. Bacteriol.
88:
904–911. 1964.—Electron transfer enzymes were obtained from log-phase cells of
Bacillus subtilis
after aerobic and anaerobic cultivation. The cytochrome content was found to be related to oxygen tension, there being little, if any, cytochrome operative in anaerobic cells. Vitamin K levels in the two cell types did not vary as markedly. A soluble diaphorase-type flavoprotein was obtained from both types of cells which reacted with vitamin K
2
, K
3
, and certain dyes but not bovine cytochrome
c
. Almost 90% of this diaphorase activity was leached from intact protoplasts without the use of solvating agents or sonic oscillation. Electron transport particles capable of coupled phosphorylation were inhibited by light (360 mμ) or 2,3-dimercaptopropanol (BAL), whereas these had no effect on the diaphorase activity. Phosphorylation in a BAL-inhibited system was restored after addition of the soluble diaphorase from either aerobic or anaerobic cells. The results suggested that soluble flavoprotein components are linked to vitamin K in both fermentative and phosphorylative pathways, and that this segment is indispensable to aerobic and anaerobic respiration in the bacillus.
INACTIVATION OF SEXUAL AGGLUTINATION IN
HANSENULA WINGEI
AND
SACCHAROMYCES KLUYVERI
BY DISULFIDE-CLEAVING AGENTS
Authors: Taylor Neil W.
Published: January 2020

Taylor, Neil W.
(Northern Regional Research Laboratory, Peoria, Ill.). Inactivation of sexual agglutination in
Hansenula wingei
and
Saccharomyces kluyveri
by disulfide-cleaving agents. J. Bacteriol.
88:
929–936. 1964.—Mating types of both
Hansenula wingei
and
Saccharomyces kluyveri
can be activated to produce uniformly strong sexual agglutination by treatments with various solvents, such as 8
m
LiBr. The strongly agglutinative mating-type preparations were irreversibly inactivated for sexual agglutination by various chemical treatments. Type 5 of
H. wingei
was inactivated by disulfide-cleaving reagents, but type 21 of
H. wingei
was not. Type 3 of
S. kluyveri
was more sensitive than type 26 of
S. kluyveri
to inactivation by disulfide-cleaving reagents. Comparison of sensitivities to these and other treatments, plus a moderately strong cross-agglutination between type 3 and type 21, indicated that the sexually agglutinative elements on type 3 are similar to type 5, and those of type 21 are similar to those of type 26. Inactivation-rate experiments showed a loss of agglutinative ability according to a sigmoid decrement with time for both types 5 and 21. The apparent extent of inactivation depended markedly on agglutination test conditions. Results of these experiments were interpreted to indicate tentatively, first, that the agglutinative elements of both types of a species are proteins and, second, that several agglutinating linkages are formed between any two cells in sexual agglutination.
ANTIGENIC STRUCTURE OF THE ACTINOMYCETALES VII
Authors: Kwapinski J. B.
Published: January 2020

Kwapinski
, J. B. (The University of New England, Armidale, Australia). Antigenic structure of the Actinomycetales. VII. Chemical and serological similarities of cell walls from 100 Actinomycetales strains. J. Bacteriol.
88:
1211–1219. 1964.—Cell walls prepared mechanically from 100 strains of Actinomycetales were studied by chromatographic and serological methods. The cell walls of
Actinomyces
were found to be serologically related to those of the corynebacteria and to some strains of mycobacteria and nocardiae. The cell walls of nocardiae appeared to be more closely related to those of the mycobacteria,
Streptomyces, Micromonospora
, and
Waksmania
. The cell walls of
Micromonospora
and
Waksmania
showed certain serological similarities to those of
Thermoactinomyces
and nocardiae.
Micropolyspora
was antigenically different from other species of the Actinomycetales. Three serological groups of mycobacteria and four groups of nocardiae were distinguished.
BIOSYNTHESIS OF NITRO COMPOUNDS I
Authors: Shaw Paul D. , Wang Nancy
Published: January 2020

Shaw, Paul
D. (University of Illinois, Urbana),
and Nancy Wang
. Biosynthesis of nitro compounds. I. Nitrogen and carbon requirements for the biosynthesis of β-nitropropionic acid by
Penicillium atrovenetum
. J. Bacteriol.
88:
1629–1635. 1964.—β-Nitropropionic acid was produced by
Penicillium atrovenetum
when this fungus was grown on a Raulin-Thom medium in shake flasks. The nitro compound was formed in the early stages of growth, and the total amount in the medium decreased when the fungus reached the end of the log phase. When increasing amounts of nitrate were substituted for the ammonia in the growth medium, production of β-nitropropionic acid decreased. Aspartic acid did not promote the synthesis of the nitro compound unless either ammonium chloride or sodium tartrate was also added to the medium. The addition of small amounts of hydroxylamine or sodium nitrite to the Raulin-Thom medium stimulated β-nitropropionic acid production to a greater degree on a molar basis than the amount of hydroxylamine or nitrite added. The nature of possible precursors to the nitro group of β-nitropropionic acid is discussed.
Electron Microscopic Observations on Actinophages for
Streptomyces venezuelae
Authors: Painter B. G. , Bradley S. G.
Published: January 2020

Painter
, B. G. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis),
and S. G. Bradley
. Electron microscopic observations on actinophages for
Streptomyces venezuelae
. J. Bacteriol.
89:
240–244. 1965.—Actinophages MSP2 and MSP8 were treated with various chemical agents to determine the phages' substructure. Normal MSP2 and MSP8, shadowed with uranium, or negatively stained with uranyl acetate or phosphotungstic acid, were tadpole-shaped. The average overall length of MSP2 was 245 mμ, and of MSP8, 206 mμ. The head width of both phages was approximately 58 mμ; the tail of MSP2 was 161 mμ long, and of MSP8, 137 mμ. Treatment of MSP2 and MSP8 with 7.5
m
ammonium hydroxide at 56 C or 8
m
urea at room temperature released some of the head contents, and revealed substructures in both the heads and the tails. The tails of phages treated with 7.5
m
mercaptoethanol were destroyed.
Comparison of the Cell-Wall Composition of Morphologically Distinct Actinomycetes
Authors: Yamaguchi Tatsuro
Published: January 2020

Yamaguchi, Tatsuro
(The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan). Comparison of the cell-wall composition of morphologically distinct actinomycetes. J. Bacteriol.
89:
444–453. 1965.—Cell-wall composition of various morphologically distinct actinomycetes was studied to determine the relationship, if any, between cell-wall composition and morphological criteria in actinomycete taxonomy. The methods used were similar to those of Cummins and Harris. At least five types of cell-wall composition were obtained; however, these were not always correlated with groupings by the conventional classification system. For instance, the sporangium-forming actinomycetes, Actinoplanaceae, had three types of cell-wall composition; the composition of cell walls of
Promicromonospora, Micromonospora
, and
Microbispora
was the same as, or similar to, that of
Actinomyces, Actinoplanes
, and
Streptosporangium
, respectively;
Chainia, Actinopycnidium, Actinosporangium
, and
Microellobosporia
had the same cell-wall composition as
Streptomyces
, whereas that of
Streptoverticillium
was slightly different. Possible implications of cell-wall composition and morphological differentiation of hyphae for the taxonomy and phylogeny of actinomycetes are also discussed.
Adansonian Analysis and Deoxyribonucleic Acid Base Composition ofSerratia marcescens
Authors: Colwell R. R. , Mandel M.
Published: January 2020

Colwell, R. R. (Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.),and M. Mandel. Adansonian analysis and deoxyribonucleic acid base composition ofSerratia marcescens. J. Bacteriol.89:454–461. 1965.—A total of 33 strains ofSerratia marcescenswere subjected to Adansonian analysis for which more than 200 coded features for each of the organisms were included. In addition, the base composition [expressed as moles per cent guanine + cytosine (G + C)] of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) prepared from each of the strains was determined. Except for four strains which were intermediate betweenSerratiaand theHafniaandAerobactergroup C of Edwards and Ewing, theS. marcescensspecies group proved to be extremely homogeneous, and the different strains showed high affinities for each other (mean similarity, ¯S = 77%). The G + C ratio of the DNA from theSerratiastrains ranged from 56.2 to 58.4% G + C. Many species names have been listed for the genus, but only a single clustering of the strains was obtained at the species level, for which the species nameS. marcescenswas retained.S. kiliensis, S. indica, S. plymuthica, andS. marinorubracould not be distinguished fromS. marcescens;it was concluded, therefore, that there is only a single species in the genus. The variety designationkiliensisdoes not appear to be valid, since no subspecies clustering of strains with negative Voges-Proskauer reactions could be detected. The characteristics of the species are listed, and a description ofS. marcescensis presented.