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Inhibition of Cortex Hydrolysis during Spore Germination by CdCl 2
Author(s) -
Nakatani Yoshihiro,
Imagawa Masayoshi,
Nishihara Tsutomu,
Kondo Masaomi
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1985.tb00810.x
Subject(s) - germination , spore , peptidoglycan , bacillus megaterium , lysis , hydrolysis , microbiology and biotechnology , spore germination , biology , biochemistry , food science , botany , bacteria , cell wall , genetics
When the spores of Bacillus megaterium QM B1551 (ATCC 12872) were incubated with 5 mM CdCl 2 at 30 C, they underwent the early germination events, such as loss of heat resistance and release of calcium dipicolinate, in the same way as when they were germinated by glucose+KNO 3 . However, germination by CdCl 2 caused no increase in the reducing groups in the cortex and no excretion of glucosamine‐containing materials due to the hydrolysis of the cortex peptidoglycan. Addition of CdCl 2 at any time during germination by glucose + KNO 3 inhibited the release of glucosamine‐containing materials from the spores, whereas removal of cadmium from the CdCl 2 ‐germinated spores by treatment with cysteine restored the hydrolysis of peptidoglycan. These results suggested that CdCl 2 caused the early events of spore germination but prevented the spores from undergoing the events following germination by inhibiting the enzymatic lysis of the cortex peptidoglycan. The conclusion from the study is that cortex degradation is not always required for the initiation of germination.