The growth of ordered two-dimensional sheets of 70 S ribosomes from Bacillus stearothermophilus

Well ordered two-dimensional sheets of intact 70 S ribosomes from Bacillus stearothermophilus have been obtained in vitro using salt-alcohol mixtures. These sheets consist of relatively small unit cells with dimensions of 200 +/- 20 A and 400 +/- 30 A. Diffraction patterns of electron micrographs of these sheets stained with uranyl acetate contain features to 42 A resolution.     

Energetics of Bacillus stearothermophilus growth: molar growth yield and temperature effects on growth efficiency.

The major growth yield of a prototrophic strain of Bacillus stearothermophilus under aerobic conditions on salts medium containing ammonium nitrate as the nitrogen source and glucose or succinate as the carbon source was maximal at the lowest growth temperature employed and decreased steadily as the temperature was raised. The temperature optima for growth yield and for growth rate were thus different. The molar growth yield values of the thermophile, especially at the lower growth temperatures, were similar to those reported for aerobically grown mesophilic bacteria, both on glucose and on succinate. At the higher growth temperatures, a lower proportion of glucose carbon was incorporated into cells and a correspondingly greater proportion was left incompletely utilized in the medium, mostly as acetate. This suggests a greater inefficiency in the coordination of the nonoxidative and oxidative phases of glucose metabolism at the gigher temperatures. Another factor causing a decreased cell yield at higher temperatures was possibly an uncoupling of energy production from respiration. The rates of respiration by intact cells of the thermophile on glucose and on succinate followed the Arrhenius relationship from 55 C to 20 C, which is some 20 C below the minimal growth temperature of the organism. The Arrhenius constant was 17.1 kcal/mol for glucose oxidation and 13.5 kcal/mol for succinate oxidation. These results are comparable to those reported for some mesophiles, and they suggest that the inability of the thermophile to grow at temperatures below about 41 C is not due to an abnormally high temperature coefficient for the uptake and oxidation of the carbon source.     

Sporulation of Bacillus stearothermophilus

A broth medium containing tryptone and manganese sulfate supported heavy sporulation of Bacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 7953 (NCA 1518) and four isolates identified as B. stearothermophilus. Maximal spore yields were obtained by use of inocula grown anaerobically in a medium containing glucose with aeration of sporulation medium via bubbling. After an extended stationary period, sporulation occurred concurrently with vegetative growth between 6 and 8 hr of incubation at 60 C. Omission of glucose from the inoculum or use of a “young” (2 hr) inoculum abolished the stationary period, but decreased spore yields. A requirement of oxygen for rapid vegetative growth and sporulation was demonstrated. Manganese (15 to 30 ppm) stimulated sporulation but did not enhance cell growth.     

The effect of growth temperatures on the in vivo ribose methylation of Bacillus stearothermophilus transfer RNA

When Bacillus stearothermophilus was cultured at 70 and at 50 °C, 1.4 times as many methyl groups were incorporated into tRNA produced at the higher temperature compared to that produced at the lower. This was due predominantly to a threefold increase in the 2′-O-methylribose moieties of the tRNA. The type and quantity of the base methylated nucleotides in the tRNAs produced in cultures grown at 70 and 50 °C were almost identical. The base methylated nucleotides found were: m²Ap, ms²Ap, ms²i⁶Ap, an unidentified i⁶Ap derivative, m⁶Ap, m₂⁶Ap, m¹Gp, m⁷Gp, m⁵Up-(Tp), and an unidentified methylated Up or Cp.³ The nucleotide m⁷Ap, never before reported to be a constituent of tRNA, has been tentatively identified as a component of B. stearothermophilus tRNA.     

Localized insertion of new S-layer during growth of Bacillus stearothermophilus strains

Bacillus stearothermophilus strains PV 72 and ATCC 12980 carry a crystalline surface layer (S-layer) with hexagonal (p6) and oblique (p2) symmetry, respectively. Sites of insertions of new subunits into the regular lattice during cell growth have been determined by the indirect fluorescent antibody technique and the protein A/colloidal gold technique.During S-layer growth on both bacillus strains the following common features were noted: 1. shedding of intact S-layer or turnover of individual subunits was not seen; 2. new S-layer was deposited in helically-arranged bands over the cylindrical surface of the cell at a pitch angle related to the orientation of the lattice vectors of the crystalline array; 3. little or no S-layer was inserted into pre-existing S-layer at the poles, and 4. septal regions and, subsequently, newly formed cell poles were covered with new S-layer protein.     

Phospholipids from Bacillus stearothermophilus

The lipids of Bacillus stearothermophilus strain 2184 were extracted with chloroform-methanol and separated into neutral lipid and three phospholipid fractions by chromatography on silicic acid columns. The phospholipids were identified by specific staining reactions on silicic acid-impregnated paper, by chromatography of alkaline and acid hydrolysis products, and by determination of acyl ester:glycerol:nitrogen:phosphorus molar ratios. The total extractable lipid was 8% of the dry weight of whole cells and consisted of 30 to 40% neutral lipid and 60 to 70% phospholipid. The phospholipid consisted of diphosphatidyl glycerol (23 to 42%), phosphatidyl glycerol (22 to 39%), and phosphatidyl ethanolamine (21 to 32%). The concentrations of diphosphatidyl glycerol and phosphatidyl glycerol were lower in 2-hr cells than in 4- and 8-hr cells. Whole cells were fractionated by sonic treatment and differential centrifugation. The total lipid content, expressed in per cent of dry weight of each fraction was: whole protoplasts, 10%; membrane fraction, 18%; 30,000 x g particulate fraction, 22%; and 105,000 x g particulate fraction, 26%. The relative phospholipid concentrations in each fraction were about the same. As had been previously reported, none of the phospholipid was stable to alkaline hydrolysis.     

Cloning and Expression of Thermostable alpha-Amylase Gene from Bacillus stearothermophilus in Bacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus subtilis

The structural gene for a thermostable alpha-amylase from Bacillus stearothermophilus was cloned in plasmids pTB90 and pTB53. It was expressed in both B. stearothermophilus and Bacillus subtilis. B. stearothermophilus carrying the recombinant plasmid produced about fivefold more alpha-amylase (20.9 U/mg of dry cells) than did the wild-type strain of B. stearothermophilus. Some properties of the alpha-amylases that were purified from the transformants of B. stearothermophilus and B. subtilis were examined. No significant differences were observed among the enzyme properties despite the difference in host cells. It was found that the alpha-amylase, with a molecular weight of 53,000, retained about 60% of its activity even after treatment at 80 degrees C for 60 min.     

Competence-Inducing Factor of Bacillus stearothermophilus

An incompetent mutant (4S Com(-)) does not release competence-inducing factor (CF) into the culture medium and is not infected with TP-1C phage deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) unless CF is added to the transfection assay. A TP-1C phage-resistant mutant (4S Ton-r) releases relatively large amounts of CF into the culture medium but is not infected with TP-1C phage DNA, even in the presence of CF. The production of CF by the wild type or Ton-r mutant and the ability of the wild type or Com(-) mutant to react with CF does not occur after these cultures have grown at 67 C for 1 hr or longer. A preliminary characterization of the CF is described. The autolytic enzyme or the temperate phage of the wild type and the Ton-r and Com(-) mutants do not have competence-inducing activity.     

Protein-Associated Lipid of Bacillus stearothermophilus

The composition and patterns of metabolism of phospholipids isolated as part of a lipid-depleted membrane fragment (LDM fragment) and associated with the membrane adenosine triphosphatase complex have been compared with those of the bulk membrane phospholipid. The bulk lipid was extracted from washed membranes with sodium cholate. The LDM fragments, which contained a portion of the electron transport system and the membrane adenosine triphosphatase complex, were purified by chromatography with Sepharose 6B. The LDM fragment preparations contained 0.10 +/- 0.02 mumol of lipid phosphorus per mg of protein, compared with 0.54 +/- 0.05 mumol of lipid phosphorus per mg of protein for washed membranes. The phospholipid associated with the LDM fragments consisted of 78 +/- 4% cardiolipin, 7 +/- 1% phosphatidylglycerol, and 15 +/- 3% phosphatidylethanolamine. Changes in the total membrane lipid composition (produced by culture conditions) did not alter the phospholipid composition of the LDM fragments. The adenosine triphosphate complex was separated from the other components of the LDM fragments by suspension of the fragments in 1% Triton X-100 and precipitation with antibody specific for the F(1) component of the adenosine triphosphatase complex. The phospholipid isolated with the adenosine triphosphatase complex consisted of 86% cardiolipin, 8% phosphatidylglycerol, and 6% phosphatidylethanolamine. In pulse-chase experiments with (32)P and [2-(3)H]glycerol, the labeling patterns of the phosphatididylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine associated with the LDM fragments were different from those of the bulk membrane phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. It was concluded that at least a portion of the phospholipid isolated with the LDM fragments was part of a native lipid-protein complex.     

Denitrification enzymes of Bacillus stearothermophilus

Abstract A hybrid trpPO:lacO regulatory sequence was cloned upstream of a promoterless lacZ gene and recombined onto a Λ bacteriophage. Escherichia coli lysogens representing the four possible phenotypes for lacI and trpR were constructed and the synthesis of β -galactosidase was assayed under various growth conditions. The results illustrated that both control elements could be efficiently and independently regulated by the addition or omission of appropriate accessory molecules.     

Intracellular Proteases of Bacillus stearothermophilus

Cell-free extracts of Bacillus stearothermophilus have been shown to exhibit proteolytic activity toward casein as well as specific activity to catalyze the hydrolysis of furylacryloylglycyl-l-leucine amide, furylacryloylglycine, and carbobenzoxyl-glycine-p-nitrophenyl ester, indicating the presence of a neutral proteinase, a carboxypeptidase-like enzyme, and an alkaline proteinase. The neutral proteinase and carboxypeptidase-like activities were separated by gel filtration over Bio-Gel P-60, and both were reversibly inhibited by 1, 10-phenanthroline. The esterase activity was inhibited by diisopropylfluorophosphate, which did not affect other enzymatic activities and was insensitive to 1, 10-phenanthroline and ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid.     

同工酶研究在嗜热脂肪芽孢杆菌分类中的应用

嗜热脂肪芽孢杆菌是一个尚未被严格定义的种,它几乎包括芽孢杆菌属内所有能在65℃以上生长的细菌。用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳的方法对151株嗜热脂肪芽孢杆菌的9种酶(G6PDH、LDH、MDH、IDH、AlaDH、LeuDH、过氧化氢酶、过氧化物酶、酯酶)的酶谱进行测定分析。根据其酶谱的差异,可将151株菌株分成两个类型。两型之间8个酶的13或14个基因产物的相异度约为91.8％,两型间的标准遗传距离是2.55。因此这两种类型的细菌也许可以被看作为两个不同的种。