Effect of Temperature on the Cannibalistic Behavior of Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis resorts to cannibalism to delay sporulation under severe nutritional limitation. We report the effect of temperature on the dynamics of cannibalism demonstrated by B. subtilis. A model consisting of a delay differential equation may explain the effect of temperature on the dynamics of cannibalism.     

Fine Structure of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum: Effect of Growth Temperature on Morphology and Ultrastructure

The fine structure of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum which was grown at the optimal temperature, 65 C, as well as at the temperature extremes for growth is described. The most distinguishing feature of this organism is the presence of intracytoplasmic membranes. The internal membrane system consists of triplet membranes which are stacked closely together, frequently appearing as concentric circles without separation by cytoplasm. Aside from this feature, M. thermoautotrophicum proliferates as irregularly curved rods at 65 C and has a fine structure similar to most other gram-positive bacteria. Both low (45 C) and high (75 C) growth temperatures induce structural modifications. These structural changes include rod to spheroidal morphological changes, cell wall abberations, distortion of division septa, misdivisions, and internal membrane deterioration.     

Structural Changes in the Nucleoid of Bacillus subtilis at Low Temperature

The external shape of the nucleoid of Bacillus subtilis strain w23 was examined with a new electron microscopic technique, the rapid freezing and substitution fixation method. The nucleoid of the log and stationary phase cells was recognized as an area devoid of ribosomes and widely dispersed in the cytoplasm, which was different from that observed in OsO₄-fixed cells. If the bacteria were exposed to low temperatures (0 to 10 C), the nucleoid showed a highly concentrated shape in the middle of the cytoplasm. These structural changes were observed only when the bacteria were maintained in a high-salt buffer. The results are discussed in relation to the membrane fluidity at low temperature.     

枯草芽孢杆菌对杨树水泡溃疡病菌菌丝生长的抑制作用

测定了枯草芽孢杆菌BS-2菌株对杨树水泡溃疡病菌菌丝生长的影响,发现BS-2菌株能够抑制病菌菌丝的生长,并导致菌丝形态畸变,表现为菌丝伸长生长受抑制、扭曲、原生质浓缩、局部膨大成球形或椭圆形以及菌丝断裂和菌丝细胞变成空泡等。BS-2发酵液对病菌菌丝生长也有明显的抑制作用,培养时间越长,其培养液的抑菌作用越强;在不同培养基中获得的发酵液对病菌的抑制效果不同。     

Effect of Bacillus subtilis on Growth and Protection of Onion against White Rot

The effect of isolates of Bacillus subtilis applied as seed treatments on plant growth and white rot on three onion cultivars was studied for two seasons on muck soil of Fraser valley of British Columbia. The isolates of B. subtilis provided significant season-long protection against onion white rot on all three cultivars. The most effective isolate (BACT 2) protected the onion cultivar Autumn spice against onion white rot in both years. plant height, number of leaves per plant, and bulb weight were not affected by treating seeds with the Bacillus isolates. Bulb neck diameter of the cultivar Autumn Spice was significantly reduced by two isolates in both seasons.     

The Effect of Incubation Temperature on the Recovery of Spores of Bacillus subtilis 8057

S ummary . The recovery of Bacillus subtilis spores was studied after different heat treatments at 95° and incubation at different temperatures in roll tubes in a gradient temperature incubator. Plate count agar and brain–heart infusion agar were used in the roll tubes. Unheated spores showed similar recoveries at 16–48° whereas heated spores had an optimum recovery temperature of c. 30.9. The rate of germination of untreated spores was greatest at c. 41° and ceased at 50°. Heated spores germinated at 52°5°, suggesting that recovery of heat-treated spores is not limited by their ability to germinate. Outgrowth of spores at different incubation temperatures was similar for germinated and ungerminated spores. Accordingly it is outgrowth rather than germination which is sensitive to temperature.     

Fine Structure and Isolation of the Hook-Basal Body Complex of Flagella from Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis

The hook-basal body complex comprising the basal end of purified intact flagella from Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis was studied in detail with an electron microscope. The E. coli hook can be described as having five or six concentric helical coils. The basal body from E. coli is 27 nm in length and consists of four rings, 22.5 nm in diameter, arranged in two pairs and mounted on a rod. The top pair of rings is connected near their periphery, resembling a closed cylinder. In B. subtilis the basal body looks like that from E. coli, except that the top pair of rings is missing. Hook-basal body complexes from both organisms could be isolated by dissociating the filaments with either urea or acid. Based on our results, two types of basal body structures are proposed, as exemplified by E. coli and B. subtilis, which directly reflect the structure of the gram-negative and gram-positive cell envelopes.     

Fine Structure of the Bacillus thuringiensis Spore

The thin-sectioned spore of Bacillus thuringiensis resembles that of Bacillus cereus in fine structure. Planar inclusions occur between the exosporium and spore coat and are structured differently from the parasporal crystal outside the exosporium.     

The Effect of Bacillus subtilis on in vitro Growth and Pathogenicity of Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Five isolates of Bacillus subtilis isolated from the soil, were found to be antagonistic to 6 isolates of Agrobacterium tumefaciens in vitro. Inoculation of B. subtilis in wounded castor bean plants 30 min before or simultaneous inoculation with A. tumefaciens resulted in excellent control of the crown gall symptoms on the host within 50 days of inoculation. Application of B. subtilis 30 min after inoculation with A. tumefaciens did not result in appreciable disease reduction. Treatment of the tested plants by B. subtilis did not induce any phytotoxic injury or growth retarding side effects. It appears that B. subtilis could potentially be incorporated for crown gall control. However, further tests are needed to test this biological control agent with other plant species especially fruits, nuts and vine nursery stock.     

The Effect of Bacillus subtilis on In Vitro Growth and Pathogenicity of Erwinia amylovora

Five isolates of Bacillus subtilis were found to be antagonistic to 3 isolates of Erwinia amylovora in vitro on sucrose agar medium. However, B. subtilis or its culture filtrate did not exhibit any activity against E. amylovora in planta tests in the laboratory on immature green pear fruits or in a commercial pear orchard under natural growing conditions.     

枯草芽孢杆菌生物茵剂对五味子白粉病防效及生长的影响

通过对不同年生五味子进行叶面喷施和根部灌施枯草芽孢杆菌生物菌剂进行田间试验,结果表明:(1)枯草芽孢杆菌生物菌剂对五味子白粉病有很好的抑制作用,喷施加灌施处理的发病率为13.0％,喷施的发病率为22.5％,清水对照的发病率为37.5％.对二年生、三年生、四年生五味子的防治效果分别为78.9％、77.8％、75.0％,这...     

枯草芽孢杆菌生物茵剂对五味子白粉病防效及生长的影响

通过对不同年生五味子进行叶面喷施和根部灌施枯草芽孢杆菌生物菌剂进行田间试验,结果表明:(1)枯草芽孢杆菌生物菌剂对五味子白粉病有很好的抑制作用,喷施加灌施处理的发病率为13.0％,喷施的发病率为22.5％,清水对照的发病率为37.5％.对二年生、三年生、四年生五味子的防治效果分别为78.9％、77.8％、75.0％,这表明喷施加灌施枯草芽孢杆菌生物菌剂对五味子白粉病的防治效果最好.(2)枯草芽孢杆菌生物菌剂对五味子生长有明显的促进作用,对二年生、三年生、四年生五味子植株喷施加灌施的处理与清水对照相比叶面积总平均值分别增加了6.7％、42.4％、27.6％;单独喷施处理和喷施加灌施处理分别比清水对照处理的百果重增加了21.33％、28.79％;喷施加灌施处理的五味子醇甲含量最高达到0.74％.     

Fine structure of Bacillus subtilis. I. Fixation

The fine structure of Bacillus subtilis has been studied by observing sections fixed in KMnO(4), OsO(4), or a combination of both. The majority of examinations were made in samples fixed in 2.0 per cent KMnO(4) in tap water. Samples were embedded in butyl methacrylate for sectioning. In general, KMnO(4) fixation appeared to provide much better definition of the boundaries of various structures than did OsO(4). With either type of fixation, however, the surface structure of the cell appeared to consist of two components: cell wall and cytoplasmic membrane. Each of these, in turn, was observed to have a double aspect. The cell wall appeared to be composed of an outer part, broad and light, and an inner part, thin and dense. The cytoplasmic membrane appeared (at times, under KMnO(4) fixation) as two thin lines. In cells fixed first with OsO(4) solution, and then refixed with a mixture of KMnO(4) and OsO(4) solutions, the features revealed were more or less a mixture of those revealed by each fixation alone. A homogeneous, smooth structure, lacking a vacuole-like space, was identified as the nuclear structure in a form relatively free of artifacts. Two unidentified structures were observed in the cytoplasm when B. subtilis was fixed with KMnO(4). One a tortuous, fine filamentous element associated with a narrow light space, was often found near the ends of cells, or attached to one end of the pre-spore. The other showed a special inner structure somewhat similar to cristae mitochondriales.     

Growth and sporulation of entrapped Bacillus subtilis cells

Growing Bacillus subtilis cells were immobilized in k-carrageenan gel beads. Growth and sporulation of entrapped cells were studied by two different methods: cell enumeration and transmission electron microscopy. Immobilized growing cells had a shorter generation time than free cells did, whereas sporulation timing was unchanged. When steady state was reached, cell density was very high in gel beads.     

Resistance and Structure of Spores of Bacillus subtilis

Spores of Bacillus subtilis NCDO 2130 were produced on five different media and their structure and resistance to chemicals, to heat and to ultraviolet (uv) irradiation compared. Resistance to one chemical was not necessarily related to resistance to another, to uv irradiation or to heat. Spores with the smallest protoplasts and largest cortices were most resistant to heat, while the least resistant were those in which the protoplasts became electron dense after staining and which had the lowest concentrations of calcium and dipicolinic acid.     

枯草芽孢杆菌活菌体外拮抗6种肠道致病菌的研究

对枯草芽孢杆菌BS 3株在体外对 6种常见肠道致病菌 (肠产毒性大肠杆菌、肠侵袭性大肠杆菌、肠致病性大肠杆菌、鼠伤寒沙门菌、福氏志贺菌和宋内志贺菌 )的拮抗作用进行了研究。结果表明 ,枯草芽孢杆菌BS 3株对宋内志贺菌、肠致病性大肠杆菌及肠产毒性大肠杆菌拮抗作用较为明显。     

Effect of Microwaves on Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis

Suspensions of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis spores were exposed to conventional thermal and microwave energy at 2,450 MHz. The degrees of inactivation by the different energy sources were compared quantitatively. During the transient heating period by microwave energy, approximately a 6 log cycle reduction in viability was encountered for E. coli. This reduction was nearly identical to what is expected for the same time-temperature exposure to conventional heating. Heating of B. subtilis spores by conventional and microwave energy was also carried out at 100 C, in ice and for transient heating. The degree of inactivation by microwave energy was again identical to that by conventional heating. In conclusion, inactivation of E. coli and B. subtilis by exposure to microwaves is solely due to the thermal energy, and there is no per se effect of microwaves.