Chromosomal Location of Pleiotropic Negative Sporulation Mutations in BACILLUS SUBTILIS

Genetic analysis by PBS-1 transduction and transformation of a large group of pleiotropic negative sporulation mutants has shown that mutations of this phenotype may be located in five genetically distinct regions. The first group of mutant sites, spoA mutations, is located in the terminal region of the chromosome and linked to the lys-1 marker by PBS-1 transduction. The second group, spoB mutations, is located between phe-1 and the attachment site for the lysogenic bacteriophage ϕ 105. Fine structure analysis of the mutant sites within the spoB locus has been accomplished. A third location for mutants of this phenotype, spoE mutants, was found between the metC3 and ura-1 markers. Two mutants were found at this site and both were capable of sporulation, in contrast to the rest of the pleiotropic sporulation mutants. A fourth chromosomal site, spoH mutations, was found near the ribosomal and RNA polymerase loci. A large group of mutant sites, spoF mutations, was found to be linked to each other by recombination index analysis in transformation but unlinked to any of the known auxotrophic mutations comprising the chromosomal map. All mutants analyzed showing a pleiotropic negative phenotype were found to map within one of these five regions. Interspecific transformation with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens as donor has shown that all of the pleiotropic negative sporulation mutations are conserved relative to a selected group of auxotrophic markers. The degree of conservation in decreasing order is: spoH > spoF = spoB > spoA.     

New Loci in DICTYOSTELIUM DISCOIDEUM Determining Pigment Formation and Growth on BACILLUS SUBTILIS

Seventeen independently isolated pigmentless (white) mutations in Dictyostelium discoideum are all recessive and fall into three complementation groups identifying two new whi loci in addition to the previously characterized whiA locus. whiB and whiC map to linkage groups III and IV, respectively. In addition, it was discovered that our laboratory stock of NC4, the wild-type strain from which these mutants were derived, has spontaneously lost the ability to grow on Bacillus subtilis. This new mutation, bsgB500, maps to linkage group VII and is not allelic to bsgA. bsgB500 is the first spontaneously derived mutation in D. discoideum that can be used to select heterozygous diploids, and for the first time allows genetic analysis to be routinely performed on strains derived from an unmutagenized background.     

HETEROCARYOSIS-LIKE PHENOMENON IN BACILLUS SUBTILIS.

Ikeda, Y. (University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan) and T. Iijima. Heterocaryosis-like phenomenon in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 83:1025-1028. 1962.-When a mixture of methionine-dependent, histidine-dependent, streptomycin-resistant cells and tryptophan-dependent, streptomycin-sensitive cells of Bacillus subtilis K is plated on minimal medium supplemented with asparagine and streptomycin, tiny colonies consisting of both component cells and X-type cells appear at a frequency of about 10(-6). Because the X-type cell segregates persistently both components and X-type, even after spore formation, it is considered to be a heterocaryon or a syncaryon possessing two kinds of genomes in a common cytoplasm.     

ANTIBIOTIC SUBSTANCES FROM A STRAIN OF BACILLUS SUBTILIS

SUMMARY: Strain B₇ of B. subtilis , isolated from soil collected from the gardens of the Bose Institute, Calcutta, was found to elaborate at least four different antibiotic substances. Fraction I was a brick red amorphous powder with certain resemblances to the bacillomycin group of antibiotics, soluble in alcohols, pyridine, etc., but insoluble in ether, water and acids. It had an ultraviolet absorption maximum at 276 mμ, melted with decomposition at 311°, and was a polypeptide positive to ninhydrin. On hydrolysis 12 amino acids were found. Fraction II was a white amorphous powder soluble in alcohols and ether but insoluble in water and petroleum ether. It melted at 158–162° and was a ninhydrin positive polypeptide composed of 7 amino acids. Fraction III was a yellow amorphous powder soluble in water and acetone, less soluble in ether and practically insoluble in chloroform. It was not a polypeptide. Fraction IV was a yellowish white amorphous powder with solubility characteristics similar to those of fractions I and II. It was a polypeptide composed of 10 amino acids.     

'BULBIFORMIN', AN ANTIBIOTIC PRODUCED BY BACILLUS SUBTILIS

The antimicrobial spectrum of the antibiotic produced by Bacillus subtilis has indicated that it is chiefly antifungal. In the presence of the antibiotic, a characteristic bulb formation has been observed in the spores and hyphae of the test fungi. The active principle has been shown to be thermolabile. The importance of magnesium in relation to growth and antibiotic production has been indicated. Large quantities up to 30 p.p.m. are required for maximum production of the antibiotic which is not intracellular, but is secreted into the medium.
The data presented suggest that the antibiotic under consideration is different from those of B. subtilis previously described, therefore the name proposed for this antibiotic is 'bulbiformin'.     

SOME FEATURES OF A REMARKABLE ORGANELLE IN BACILLUS SUBTILIS

In thin sections of Bacillus subtilis certain organelles are observed situated either in the nuclear area from where they can extend into the cytoplasm, or in contact with the cell wall. Inside the nuclear area, the organelle is sometimes composed of concentric layers each seen to consist of two dense borders with a lighter interspace. In other instances, inside as well as outside the nuclear area, the organelles appear as clusters of delicately delimited vesicles. A typical site of occurrence is on the inner rim of the centripetally developing transverse septa, where it appears as a so called peripheral body (2). The micrographs strongly suggest that when the organelles are attached to the walls they have a function in cell wall formation.     

枯草芽孢杆菌中怀植酸酶的纯化和酶学性质

从土壤中分离到了产中性植酸酶的枯草芽孢杆菌菌株并对所产植酸酶进行了分离纯化,此中性植酸酶的反应最适pH为7．5,最适温度为55度,在37度下以植酸钠为底物的Km值为0．19mmol/L,植酸酶活性依赖Ca^2 的存在,酶蛋白的分子量大小约为45kD,纯酶蛋白N端序列为Lys-His-Lys-Leu-Ser-Asp-Pro-Tyr-His-Phe-Thr。     

THE INACTIVATION OF BACILLUS SUBTILIS SPORES IN PENICILLIN BY GAMMA RADIATION

SUMMARY: Sodium benzylpenicillin, contaminated with Bacillus subtilis spores by freeze-drying a suspension of spores in an aqueous penicillin solution ( c . 50% w/v), was exposed to gamma radiation and a 70-tube dilution method was used to determine the surviving spores after various doses. The correlation coefficient between log₁₀ percentage survival and dose was −0.9523. The regression of the former on the latter was calculated and the decimal reduction dose found to be 20.2 × 10⁴ rads. The regression and the decimal reduction dose were similar to those obtained when suspensions of spores in distilled water were irradiated.     

pNK289衍生质粒在牙孢杆菌中的分离稳定性

报道关于一系列pNK289衍生质粒分离稳定性研究结果。这些起源相同的质粒在Bacillus,subtilis AS1.1176中的分离稳定性存在差异,这种差异与质粒的大小和复制方式无关,而与质粒的考贝数有一定的关系。由于不稳定质粒pNK219在B.subtilis BD224宿主中能稳定遗传,所以推测宿主的遗传背景可能影响质粒的分离稳定性,这些研究不仅为进一步寻找与pNK289衍生质粒稳定性相关的基因奠定了基础,而且为在芽孢杆中构建稳定的重组质粒提供了理论依据。     

枯草芽胞杆菌活菌制剂促进烧伤创面愈合的实验研究

目的　探讨枯草芽胞杆菌活菌制剂对烧伤创面愈合的影响。方法　通过大鼠深Ⅱ°烧伤模型,使用枯草芽胞杆菌活菌制剂,观察烧伤创面愈合过程中,成纤维细胞增殖周期的变化,以及测定羟脯氨酸（OHP）的含量,同时记录烧伤创面愈合时间,从而评价该制剂对烧伤创面愈合的影响。结果　应用枯草芽胞杆菌活菌制剂可促进成纤维细胞分裂、增殖,胶原含量提高,创面愈合时间明显缩短。结论　枯草芽胞杆菌活菌制剂具有促进烧伤创面愈合的作用。