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Autolysis of Thermoactinomyces vulgaris spores lacking carbon dioxide during germination
Author(s) -
Kretschmer S.,
Jacob H.E.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
zeitschrift für allgemeine mikrobiologie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.58
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1521-4028
pISSN - 0044-2208
DOI - 10.1002/jobm.19830230105
Subject(s) - spore , protoplast , autolysis (biology) , lysis , germination , endospore , spore germination , cytoplasm , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , botany , germ tube , chemistry , biochemistry , enzyme
Ultrathin sections of early germinating endospores of Thermoactinomyces vulgaris were studied by electron microscope. Only spores aerated with an air‐CO 2 mixture (5% CO 2 ) grow out, while spores aerated with air (0.03% CO 2 ) lyse by the 25 th min of inoculation. The lysis is due to progressive, unlimited degradation of the spore integuments and a lack of cell wall formation around the spore protoplast. The requirement of CO 2 for outgrowth could not be replaced by oxaloacetate. CO 2 seems to be needed to energize the dormant cytoplasmic membrane of the spore to render it capable of initiating active transport processes and of synthesizing the germ cell wall.