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A Note on the Effect of Hydrogen Chloride on the Morphology of Bacillus subtilis Spores
Author(s) -
LELIEVELD H. L. M.
Publication year - 1980
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.1365-2672.1980.tb05206.x
Subject(s) - bacillus subtilis , spore , scanning electron microscope , peptidoglycan , morphology (biology) , microbiology and biotechnology , protonation , chloride , chemistry , endospore , hydrogen bond , hydrogen chloride , hydrogen , bacillales , bacteria , chemical engineering , nuclear chemistry , biology , biochemistry , inorganic chemistry , materials science , enzyme , organic chemistry , molecule , zoology , composite material , ion , genetics , engineering
Gaseous hydrogen chloride, in the presence of a minute amount of water vapour, rapidly inactivated bacterial spores. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the treatment caused spores of Bacillus subtilis to collapse. Modern theories of spore structure and resistance suggest that it is likely that hydrogen chloride inactivates and causes collapse of spores by breaking disulphide bonds in coat protein and neutralizing, by protonation, peptidoglycan carboxyl groups in the underlying cortex.