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Response of Spores and Vegetative Cells of Bacillus spp. in a Hydrocarbon‐Water System
Author(s) -
Felix J. A.,
Cooney J. J.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
journal of applied bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 0021-8847
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1971.tb02300.x
Subject(s) - spore , hydrocarbon , germination , biology , bacillus (shape) , bacillales , botany , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , chemistry , bacillus subtilis , organic chemistry , genetics
Summary. Nine strains of Bacillus spp. isolated from hydrocarbon fuel systems were examined for their ability to survive, multiply, sporulate and germinate in the aqueous phase of a hydrocarbon fuel‐aqueous salts medium. Vegetative cells did not survive in significant numbers. Larger inocula of vegetative cells survived better than smaller ones, suggesting that lytic products influenced survival. One isolate produced limited numbers of spores in the fuel‐salts system. Spores survived, and germinated at a slow rate. Germinated spores were capable of outgrowth and limited cell division. Thus, many Bacillus spp. isolated from fuel systems may be the progeny of spores which survived, rather than of cells proliferated or sporulated in the system. Survival patterns did not change when products of a hydrocarbon‐using bacterium were present in the medium. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that Bacillus spp. although isolated frequently from hydrocarbon systems, do not play a significant role in the ecology of such systems.