The Nature of Cold-induced Dormancy in Urediospores of Puccinia graminis tritici

When air-dry urediospores of the wheat stem rust, Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, are exposed to temperatures below freezing, their germinability is markedly reduced, even after prolonged thawing at room temperature. Germinability is fully restored by a brief heat-shock or by vapor phase hydration. We have found that this “cold dormancy” cannot be reversed once the spores contact liquid water. Enhanced loss of metabolites occurs immediately upon suspension of cold-dormant urediospores in liquid without a prior heat-shock. Such leakage is two to three times greater than from untreated or heatshocked cold-dormant spores and accounts for up to 70% of the soluble pool of metabolites normally present in germinating urediospores. Respiratory activity of cold-dormant urediospores declines rapidly during incubation in liquid. Incorporation of isotopic carbon into cold-dormant urediospores is only a fraction of that of untreated or heat-activated spores. Thus, cold shock transforms the spores into a state of supersensitivity to liquid water, which is reversed by heat-shock or slow hydration by vapor phase equilibration. The primary cause of damage to cold-dormant cells exposed to liquid water appears to be irreversible permeability damage, followed by metabolic injury.     

Repair of Radiation Damage to Deoxyribonucleic Acid in Germinating Spores of Bacillus subtilis

The repair of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in germinating spores was studied in comparison with that in vegetative cells. Radiation-induced single-strand breaks in the DNA of spores and of vegetative cells of Bacillus subtilis were rejoined during postirradiation incubation. The molecular weight of single-stranded DNA was restored to the level of nonirradiated cells. The rate of the rejoining of DNA strand breaks in irradiated spores was essentially equal to that in irradiated vegetative cells. The rejoining in spores germinating in nutrient medium occurred in the absence of detectable DNA synthesis. In this state, normal DNA synthesis was not initiated. Very little DNA degradation occurred during the rejoining process. On the other hand, in vegetative cells the rejoining process was accompanied by a relatively large amount of DNA synthesis and DNA degradation in nutrient medium. The rejoining occurred in phosphate buffer in vegetative cells but not in spores in which germination was not induced. Chloramphenicol did not interfere with the rejoining process in either germinating spores or vegetative cells, indicating that the rejoining takes place in the absence of de novo synthesis of repair enzyme. In the radiation-sensitive strain uvs-80, the capacity for rejoining radiation-induced strand breaks was reduced both in spores and in vegetative cells, suggesting that the rejoining mechanism of germinating spores is not specific to the germination process.     

A Method for Extracting RNA from Dormant and Germinating Bacillus subtilis Strain 168 Endospores

RNA was extracted from dormant and germinating Bacillus subtilis 168 spores (intact spores and chemically decoated spores) by using rapid rupture followed by acid–phenol extraction. Spore germination progress was monitored by assaying colony forming ability before and after heat shock and by reading the optical density at 600 nm. The purity, yield, and composition of the extracted RNA were determined spectrophotometrically from the ratio of absorption at 260 nm to that at 280 nm; in a 2100 BioAnalyzer, giving the RNA yield/10⁸ spores or cells and the distribution pattern of rRNA components. The method reported here for the extraction of RNA from dormant spores, as well as during different phases of germination and outgrowth, has proven to be fast, efficient and simple to handle. RNA of a high purity was obtained from dormant spores and during all phases of germination and growth. There was a significant increase in RNA yield during the transition from dormant spores to germination and subsequent outgrowth. Chemically decoated spores were retarded in germination and outgrowth compared with intact spores, and less RNA was extracted; however, the differences were not significant. This method for RNA isolation of dormant, germinating, and outgrowing bacterial endospores is a valuable prerequisite for gene expression studies, especially in studies on the responses of spores to hostile environmental conditions.     

Rapid viability assessment of spores of several fungi by an ionic intensified fluorescein diacetate method

Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) was applied to the viability assessment of spores of Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifer, Fusarium oxysporum, and Penicillium citrinum. The fluorescence of individual cells was quantitated with a charge coupled device (CCD) detector. When staining was carried out in a phosphate buffer solution (10 mM, pH 7.0), weak or no fluorescence was emitted from viable spores of A. niger and R. stolonifer, which made it difficult to distinguish between viable (nontreated) and nonviable (heat treated at 90°C for 30 min) spores. The addition of NaCl, KCl, or MgCl₂ to the staining solution caused an increase in the fluorescence intensity of A. niger viable spores, from which nonviable spores could be distinguished. The same effect of NaCl was observed in staining the spores of other species.     

Heat shock response of Neurospora crassa: protein synthesis and induced thermotolerance.

At elevated temperatures, germinating conidiospores of Neurospora crassa discontinue synthesis of most proteins and initiate synthesis of three dominant heat shock proteins of 98,000, 83,000, and 67,000 Mr and one minor heat shock protein of 30,000 Mr. Postemergent spores produce, in addition to these, a fourth major heat shock protein of 38,000 Mr and a minor heat shock protein of 34,000 Mr. The three heat shock proteins of lower molecular weight are associated with mitochondria. This exclusive synthesis of heat shock proteins is transient, and after 60 min of exposure to high temperatures, restoration of the normal pattern of protein synthesis is initiated. Despite the transiency of the heat shock response, spores incubated continuously at 45 degrees C germinate very slowly and do not grow beyond the formation of a germ tube. The temperature optimum for heat shock protein synthesis is 45 degrees C, but spores incubated at other temperatures from 40 through 47 degrees C synthesize heat shock proteins at lower rates. Survival was high for germinating spores exposed to temperatures up to 47 degrees C, but viability declined markedly at higher temperatures. Germinating spores survived exposure to the lethal temperature of 50 degrees C when they had been preexposed to 45 degrees C; this thermal protection depends on the synthesis of heat shock proteins, since protection was abolished by cycloheximide. During the heat shock response mitochondria also discontinue normal protein synthesis; synthesis of the mitochondria-encoded subunits of cytochrome c oxidase was as depressed as that of the nucleus-encoded subunits.     

Effect of the Method of Presentation of the Medium on the Germination and Growth of Single Spores of Bacillus subtilis

S ummary . Micromanipulation of single spores on an agar surface allowed the observation of normal and heat damaged spores in microculture. In tests for viability on different media, spores recorded as 'dead' in some media were fully viable when nutrients were supplied by diffusion from agar cylinders. In microculture of heat-damaged spores, only those phase-bright spores which exhibited considerable delay in becoming phase-dark were eventually capable of forming visible colonies. Rapidly germinating spores were incapable of any outgrowth, except for a small minority which developed to a maximum of 4–8 cells and then lysed.     

OBSERVATIONS ON THE SURVIVAL AND GERMINATION OF RESTING SPORES OF THREE CHAETOCEROS (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) SPECIES1,2

Resting spores (hypnospores) of Chaetoceros diadema (Ehrenberg) Gran, Chaetoceros vanheurckii Gran, and Chaetoceros didymus Ehrenberg were collected from a large plastic enclosure moored in Saanich Inlet, B.C., Canada. The effects of combinations of temperature and irradiance on the germination of these resting spores were investigated. Nutrient uptake, carbon fixation, and changes in the photosynthetic capacity of the germinating spores were also examined. Resting spores germinated optimally at combinations of temperature and irradiance similar to those in the environment during sporulation. They did not germinate at irradiances 1.3 μEin m^?2 s^?1 or temperatures >25.3° C. Nitrate, phosphate and silicate were taken up after the resting spores had germinated and resumed vegetative growth. Chlorophyll a fluorescence in vivo, and the DCMU-induced increase in in vivo fluorescence also increased after the resting spores had germinated. Resting spores began to fix carbon as soon as they were placed in light. Spores remained viable for at least 645 d. The length of time between first exposure to light and germination did not change during this period; however, the percentage of viable resting spores decreased markedly. None of the Chaetoceros spores germinated after 737 d of storage at 2–4° C in darkness.     

Cold Shock Lethality and Injury in Clostridium perfringens

Several observations have been made in regard to cold shock lethality of Clostridium perfringens: (i) loss of viability was not consequence of exposure of the cells to air; (ii) stationary-phase cells were much more resistant to cold shock at 4 C than exponential-phase cells; (iii) at 4 C 96% of an initial population of exponential-phase cells was killed upon cold shock and 95% of the remaining population was killed within 90 min of continued exposure at 4 C; (iv) the minimal temperature differential for detectable cold shock lethality was between 17 and 23 C, and the maximum beyond which lethality was not appreciably increased was between 28 and 33 C. Up to 75% of viable cold-shocked cells were injured, as demonstrated by cold shocking late exponential-phase cells at 10 C and using differential plating procedure for recovery. Repair of injury was temperature dependent, and occurred in a complex medium and 0.1% peptone but not water. Nalidixic acid, chloramphenicol, and rifampin did not inhibit repair of injury.     

Effects of temperature and heat activation on germination of individual spores of Bacillus subtilis

Phase intensity changes of individual germinating spores of Bacillus subtilis were determined by phase-contrast light microscopy and image analysis. Two germination phases were investigated. The length of the time period before a change in phase brightness was evident and the duration of the phase intensity change until a constant greylevel was maintained. The incubation temperature (37 and 20 °C) and heat activation (10 min at 65 °C) had a distinct effect on both phases. At 37 °C, spores of B. subtilis 604 started to show a decrease in brightness in l -alanine buffer after 3–39 min and needed 10–39 min to complete the phase change. At 20 °C, lag times of 10–100 min were observed and the spores needed 30–100 min to reach a constant greylevel. Heat activation and subsequently exposure to l -alanine buffer at 20 °C reduced the lag phase to 6–90 min and the phase change was finished after 30–60 min. Our results indicate enzymatic involvement before and during the phase intensity change of germinating spores.     

Expression of a New Cold Shock Protein of 21.5 kDa and of the Major Cold Shock Protein by Streptococcus thermophilus After Cold Shock

Streptococcus thermophilus is widely used in food fermentations; it commonly suffers diverse stress challenges during manufacturing. This study investigated the cold shock response of S. thermophilus when the cell culture temperature shifted from 42°C to 15°C or 20°C. The growth of cells was affected more drastically after cold shock at 15°C than at 20°C. The generation time was increased by a factor of 19 when the temperature was lowered from 42° to 20°C, and by a factor of 72 after a cold shock at 15°C. The two-dimensional electrophoretic protein patterns of S. thermophilus under cold shock conditions were compared with the reference protein pattern when cells were grown at optimal temperature. Two proteins of 21.5 and 7.5 kDa synthesized in response to cold shock were characterized. N-terminal sequencing and sequence homology searches have shown that the 7.5-kDa protein belonged to the family of the major cold shock proteins, while no homology was found for the new cold shock protein of 21.5 kDa. Received: 4 June 1999 / Accepted: 6 July 1999     

The Effect of Freezing on the Radiation Sensitivity of Bacterial Spores

S ummary : Bacillus pumilus spores, irradiated under aerobic conditions, were inactivated exponentially at the same rate whether they were at room temperature (10–13°) in phosphate buffer or at -79° in phosphate buffer or in heart infusion broth.
Clostridium welchii spores were irradiated in Robertson's cooked meat medium under anaerobic conditions. With unheated spores, and those subjected to a heat shock before irradiation, the inactivation rate was the same at room temperature and -79°. The same applied to spores heat shocked after irradiation for doses up to 450 Krads, but above this dose level the spores irradiated frozen were more sensitive.
The effect of the heat shock, whether applied before or after irradiation, was to increase the number of survivors, and the proportionate increase appeared to vary with dose.     

Factors Affecting Spore Germination of Volvariella volvacea

Environmental factors affecting basidiospore germination were studied with Volvariella volvacea, the edible straw mushroom which is common in South East Asia. A relatively mild heal shock is necessary for spore germination. The spores give best germination at 40°C although early hyphal growth is better at 35°C the germination of spores is affected by temperature. pH. a presoaking treatment and spore density. Higher pH supports more germination but seems unfavourable for early mycelial growth. Presoaking treatment in phosphate buffer solution or distilled water also stimulates germination markedly.     

Cold shock response in sporulating Bacillus subtilis and its effect on spore heat resistance

Cold shock and ethanol and puromycin stress responses in sporulating Bacillus subtilis cells have been investigated. We show that a total of 13 proteins are strongly induced after a short cold shock treatment of sporulating cells. The cold shock pretreatment affected the heat resistance of the spores formed subsequently, with spores heat killed at 85 or 90 degrees C being more heat resistant than the control spores while they were more heat sensitive than controls that were heat treated at 95 or 100 degrees C. However, B. subtilis spores with mutations in the main cold shock proteins, CspB, -C, and -D, did not display decreased heat resistance compared to controls, indicating that these proteins are not directly responsible for the increased heat resistance of the spores. The disappearance of the stress proteins later in sporulation suggests that they cannot be involved in repairing heat damage during spore germination and outgrowth but must alter spore structure in a way which increases or decreases heat resistance. Since heat, ethanol, and puromycin stress produce similar proteins and similar changes in spore heat resistance while cold shock is different in both respects, these alterations appear to be very specific.     

Influence of cellular differentiation on ultraviolet induced DNA damage and its repair mechanisms in B. cereus

Susceptibility to UV irradiation of B. cereus BIS-59 spores undergoing germination at various stages-dormant spores to vegetative cell stage and their ability to recover from radiation damage were studied. For a given dose of radiation, the number of spore photoproducts (SPP) formed in the DNA of dormant spores was about 5-times greater than that of thymine dimers (TT) formed in the DNA of vegetative cells. At intermediate stages of the germination cycle, there was a rapid decline in the UV radiation-induced SPP formed in DNA with a concomitant increase in the UV radiation-induced TT formed in DNA. Bacterial spores undergoing germination (up to 3 hr) in the low nutrient medium (0.3% yeast extract) displayed much higher resistance to UV radiation than those germinating in the rich nutrient medium, even though there was no discernible difference under the two incubation conditions in respect of the extent of germination and the time at which the outgrowth stage appeared (3 hr). This was due to the formation TT in the DNA of spores germinating in the low nutrient as compared to that of spores germinating in the rich-nutrient medium. In UV-irradiated dormant spores, SPP formed in the spore DNA did not disappear even after prolonged incubation in the non-germinating medium. However, when the UV-irradiated dormant spores were germinated in low or rich nutrient medium, a significant proportion of SPP in DNA was eliminated. The dormant spores incubated in either of the germinating media for 15 min and then UV-irradiated were capable of eliminating SPP (presumably by monomerization) even by incubation in a non-germinating medium and in the complete absence of protein synthesis (buffer holding recovery), thereby implying that spore-repair enzymes were activated in response to initial's germination. The acquisition of photo-reactivation ability appeared in spores subjected to germination only in the rich-nutrient medium at the outgrowth stage and required de novo synthesis of the required enzymes.     

Sequential Use of Wright's and Ziehl-Neelsen's Stains for Demonstrating Phagocytosis of Bacterial Spores

Nongerminating spores, germinating spores, and vegetative cells of Clostridium botulinum type A were observed during phagocytosis in the peritoneal fluid of white mice. Since phagocytes are easily ruptured by heat, the method described avoids heating, as this has been employed in conventional spore staining methods. A thin smear of the fluid is air dried on the slide for 2 hr, and stained by Wright's method: stain, 2 min; dilution water, 2 min; and rinsed; then in 0.005% methylene blue for 30 sec, and rinsed. This is followed by Ziehl-Neelsen's stain for 3-4 min and destained with 1: acetone-95% ethanol for 10 sec. The slide is rinsed, and Wright's staining repeated: stain 1 min, dilution 2-3 min; and thereafter washed about 5 ml of Wright's buffer. Blotting and air drying completes the staining. Non-germinating spores stain light red with a red spore wall, germinating spores are deep red throughout, vegetative cells are blue, and leucocytes show a dark purple nucleus and light blue cytoplasm.     

Semi-in vitro Repair of DNA in Germinating Spores of Bacillus subtilis Irradiated with γ-Ray

DNA repair synthesis was studied in germinating spores of Bacillus subtilis made permeable to deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates by treatment with Brij 58. The synthesis is dependent on the presence of all four deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, but does not require adenosine triphosphate. Repair synthesis in the γ-ray irradiated and Brij 58 treated germinating spores was observed in wild type strain 168Tt, but not in DNA polymerase I-deficient mutant strain D22. Furthermore, the single-strand breaks of DNA in the germinating spores of strain 168Tt induced by γ -ray irradiation were rejoined during postirradiation incubation in the presence of four deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and magnesium ion. In the case of a mutant D22, the γ-ray induced DNA single-strand breaks were not rejoined.     

Structure of DNA in Spores of Bacillus cereus

The structure of DNA extracted from dormant and germinating spores of B. cereus T was investigated using circular dichroism and other methods. No significant differences between DNAs extracted from vegetative cells and from spores of various stages could be found by analyses of CD spectra, CsCl density gradient centrifugation, melting profiles and template activity. All the DNA preparations were in B conformation and had the same density (1.695), Tm (83°C) and template activity in the reaction of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. An abnormal DNA fraction of high density which was formerly found in B. cereus spores or a stable DNA complex with protein and/or RNA was not detected in the present extracts of spores. Preliminary X-ray analyses of intact spores indicate that the structure of DNA in spores is not so different from B form.     

Efficacy of iodine-treated biocidal filter media against bacterial spore aerosols

Aims: To assess the effectiveness of iodine-treated biocidal filter media against bacterial spore aerosols. Methods and Results: Bacillus subtilis spores were aerosolized and introduced into a filtration system. Both treated and untreated filters exhibited high viable removal efficiency (>99·996%) with negligible variation in pressure drop during the entire experiment. The viability of collected spores on the filter was investigated by enumeration of spores extracted from the filter by vortexing. At room temperature and low relative humidity (RH), the survival fraction of the treated filter was significantly lower than that of the untreated filter (P-value < 0·05). Meanwhile, at room temperature and high RH and at high temperature and high RH, the survival fractions on the treated medium were statistically the same as the untreated control at room temperature and low RH. Conclusions: Both treated and untreated filters achieved excellent viable removal efficiency for spores. The pressure drop of the treated filter was not affected by the iodine treatment. The viability of collected bacterial spores was decreased because of the exertion of iodine disinfectant. Significance and Impact of the Study: The evaluation demonstrates that the iodine-treated filter is a viable medium for respiratory protection against infectious spore aerosols. The results warrant further evaluation of smaller biological agents, which exhibit higher penetration.     

Role of carbon dioxide in germination of spores of Streptomyces viridochromogenes

CO₂ in required continuously during germination of Streptomyces viridochromogenes spores. Spores incubated in a defined germination medium in the absence of CO₂ remain phase bright and do not release spore carbon. In the presence of CO₂, the spores initiate germination accompanied by loss of refractility and spore carbon. The CO₂ requirement is replaced by oxaloacetate or a mixture of tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) intermediates. Labeled CO₂ is taken up by germinating spores, and is incorporated into protein and RNA. TCA cycle intermediates and related amino acids contain most of the acid-soluble label following short term exposures of germinating spores to ¹⁴CO₂. TCA cycle inhibitors repress germination and ¹⁴CO₂ uptake whereas folic acid antagonists do not. The results indicate that CO₂ is incorporated into oxaloacetate which is converted to biosynthetic intermediates required for germination. Operation of the TCA cycle appears to be essential for spore germination. The conclusion is reached that CO₂ is required during germination in order to maintain the cycle by an anaplerotic reaction.Abbreviations SN sucrose-nitrate medium - TX buffer Trisbuffer pH 7.3 containing-Triton X-100 - DGM defined germination medium - TX salts TX buffer plus Mg and Ca ions - TA trichloroacctic acid - TCA tricarboxylic acid