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OSMOTICALLY INDUCED CHANGES OF CELL SPACES IN NEISSERIA MENINGITIDIS COMPETENCE VARIANTS
Author(s) -
Jyssum Kaare
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica section b microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0304-131X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1976.tb01898.x
Subject(s) - protoplast , spheroplast , sucrose , lysozyme , lysis , neisseria meningitidis , osmotic pressure , cell wall , autolysis (biology) , cytolysis , osmotic shock , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , biophysics , chemistry , biochemistry , bacteria , escherichia coli , genetics , enzyme , cytotoxic t cell , in vitro , gene
The volume of the whole cell and the fraction of the intact cell bounded by the cytoplasmic membrane (protoplast volume) have been measured by dextran and 14 C‐sucrose exclusion spaces in Neisseria meningitidis competence variants. Increase in external osmotic pressure causes contraction of the protoplast volume. Increasing osmolality due to NaCl and MgCl 2 also causes contraction of the volume of the whole cell, whereas increasing concentrations of sucrose cause little or no change in the whole cell volume. The experiments demonstrate a significant difference between competent ( cp +) and incompetent ( cp ‐ ) cells. The cp + protoplast have a far higher capacity for swelling during decreasing osmolality, and for shrinkage during increasing osmolality. Comparison of spheroplasts obtained by autolysis as well as by the penicillin technique indicates that the average cp + spheroplast is larger than the average cp ‐ one. The significance of the difference in structure of cp + and cp ‐ protoplasts has been discussed.