Gelatin-induced Reversion of Protoplasts of Bacillus subtilis to the Bacillary Form: Biosynthesis of Macromolecules and Wall During Successive Steps

Protoplasts of Bacillus subtilis plated on SDG medium formed L colonies in quantative yield and propagated in the L-form indefinitely. Protoplasts or L bodies placed in 25% gelatin medium formed bacillary colonies. Details of the reversion of these naked bodies to the walled form are reported here. Protoplasts prepared in minimal medium reverted fairly synchronously 3 to 4 hr after inoculation into gelatin, but protoplasts preincubated in casein hydrolysate (CH)-enriched minimal medium were primed to revert within 1 hr in the gelatin. Preincubation for 1.5 hr in 0.44% CH was required for good priming. Cells must be subjected to this preincubation (step 1) in the naked state; it is effective for L bodies as well as protoplasts. Priming was blocked by chloramphenicol, puromycin, and actinomycin D but was not affected by penicillin, lysozyme, or inhibition of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis. It is concluded that protein and ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis are required during step 1, that DNA synthesis is not required, and that wall mucopeptide is not made. The reversion of well-primed protoplasts in the gelatin (step 2) proceeded undisturbed in thymine-starved cells with chromosomes arrested at the terminus. It was scarcely slowed by chloramphenicol in the gelatin but was delayed about 3 hr by both puromycin and actinomycin D. Escape from inhibition occurred while the inhibitors were still actively blocking growth. Penicillin and cycloserine inhibited and lysozyme reversed reversion. Momentary melting of the gelatin delayed reversion. It is concluded that mucopeptide synthesis occurs in step 2, that concomitant RNA, DNA, or protein synthesis is not essential, but that physical immobilization of excreted cell products at the protoplast surface is necessary early in step 2. Newly reverted cells were misshapen and osmotically sensitive. Processes which confer osmotic stability after reversion (step 3) did not occur in the presence of chloramphenicol or actinomycin D.     

Gelatin-induced Reversion of Protoplasts of Bacillus subtilis to the Bacillary Form: Electron-microscopic and Physical Study

Protoplasts of Bacillus subtilis plated on SD medium form L colonies in quantitative yield and propagate in the L form indefinitely. L bodies or protoplasts placed in 25% gelatin medium form bacillary colonies. Details of the reversion of naked bodies to the walled form are reported. In 25% gelatin medium, reversion begins earlier (about 50% reversion in 4 hr) than the multiplication of bacilli. Thus, virtually all the observed bacillary forms are themselves revertants and not the offspring of a few growing clones. The optimal temperature for reversion is 26 C in 25% gelatin. When cells reverting at 26 C are warmed to 40 C for 3 min, reversion is delayed markedly, whereas viability is unaffected. For electron microscopy, a dense protoplast inoculum was placed on a gelatin surface, incubated, and then fixed in situ. There was no multiplication, but crowding delayed reversion markedly. Successive events of reversion are as follows. The loose nucleoid of the protoplasts condenses in response to the gelatin medium and condenses further and further as reversion proceeds. A thin coat of wall develops around the bodies of various sizes and shapes and then increases uniformly in thickness until a wall of normal aspect is formed. Rod-shaped cells grow out from these bodies-sometimes in several directions at once. A few mesosomes begin to appear only after a thin coat of wall has been formed. These are dense, atypical structures compartmented by membranes. They are located at the cell periphery and do not seem to be in contact with the nucleoids. Quantitative estimates showed that only 20 to 25% of revertant cells or cells grown on gelatin contain even a single mesosome. The others have no mesosome at all. Mesosomes thus do not appear to play a significant role in reversion, and normal mesosome functions must presumably be performed elsewhere in the cell in gelatin-grown bacilli. The role of cell wall, its synthesis, and its chemical nature in successive steps in reversion are discussed.     

Regeneration of protoplasts of Bacillus subtilis 168 and closely related strains

Regeneration of protoplasts to bacilli was attempted in several strains of Bacillus closely related to Bacillus subtilis 168. On DM3 and similar media using succinate as osmotic support, only B. subtilis 168 and Bacillus natto ATCC 15245 were able to regenerate. Media containing mannitol as osmotic support, and agar as gelling agent gave rise to L-form colonies with Bacillus licheniformis NCTC 6346. Many of the L-form colonies were able to regenerate to the bacillary form when plated on the mannitol medium solidified with gelatin. All of the Bacillus species tested were able to regenerate on the latter medium at rates sufficient to allow protoplast transformation and fusion experiments.     

Immunological evidence for transfer of the barley nitrate reductase structural gene to Nicotiana tabacum by protoplast fusion

Summary A protoplast fusion experiment was designed in which the selectable marker, nitrate reductase (NR), also served as a biochemical marker to provide direct evidence for intergeneric specific gene transfer. NR-deficient tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) mutant Nia30 protoplasts were the recipients for the attempted transfer of the NR structural gene from 50 krad -irradiated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) protoplasts. Barley protoplasts did not form colonies and Nia30 protoplasts could not grow on nitrate medium; therefore, selection was for correction of NR deficiency allowing tobacco colonies to grow on nitrate medium. Colonies were selected from protoplast fusion treatments at an approximate frequency of 10^-5. This frequency was similar to the Nia30 reversion frequency, and thus provided little evidence for transfer of the barley NR gene to tobacco. Plants regenerated from colonies had NR activity and were analyzed by western blotting using barley NR antiserum to determine the characteristics of the NR conferring growth on nitrate. Ten plants exhibited tobacco NR indicating reversion of a Nia30 mutant NR locus. Twelve of 26 regenerated tobacco plants analyzed had NR subunits with the electrophoretic mobility and antigenic properties of barley NR. These included plants regenerated from colonies selected from 1) co-culturing a mixture of Nia30 protoplasts with irradiated barley protoplasts without a fusion treatment, 2) a protoplast fusion treatment of Nia30 and barley protoplasts, and 3) a fusion treatment of Nia30 protoplasts with irradiated barley protoplasts. No barley-like NR was detected in plants regenerated from a colony that grew on nitrate following selfed fusion of Nia30 protoplasts. Because tobacco plants expressing barley-like NR were recovered from mixture controls as well as fusion treatments, explanations for these results other than protoplast fusionmediated gene transfer are discussed.     

Yeast protoplasts immobilized in alginate: Cell wall regeneration and reversion to cells

Yeast protoplasts may regenerate the cell wall and revert to cells if immobilized in a 2%–5% Ca-alginate gel and cultured in an osmotically stabilized medium. The method of protoplast immobilization and subsequent isolation from the gel is described in detail. The reversion yield is dependent of the actual gel concentration, gel shape (beads vs. sheets) and of a medium molarity, and it may be up to 90%. The morphology of the cell wall regeneration and morphology of reversion to the cell forms correspond to protoplast development in gelatin or agar gels.     

麦角菌和雀稗麦角菌原生质体的形成与再生

本文报道了快速制备麦角菌(Claviceps purpurea)和雀稗麦角菌(Claviceps paspali)原生质体的方法及影响原生质体形成的若干因素。用适当方法培养菌丝体,利用商品溶壁酶制剂(10mg/ml),以0.7mol/l KCl为原生质体高渗液,28℃为酶解温度,处理时间仅需1—2h,菌丝体细胞壁即被彻底消化而释放出大量原生质体。在适当的固体再生培养基上,两种麦角菌原生质体的再生频率分别为7.7%和13.2%左右。培养基中添加25mg/l脱氧胆酸钠有利于形成易于计数和分离的小菌落。本文还就CaCl_2,MgCl_2及低温保藏(3—4℃,30天)对于原生质体稳定性与再生的影响作了初步探讨,并证实溶壁酶对原生质体有明显的破坏作用。     

Factors affecting protoplast formation and regeneration by four species of Streptomyces

Four species of Streptomyces, Streptomyces canescens, S. limosus, S. griseus and S. griseolus , were used to study the effects of glycerine and gelatin on the formation and regeneration of protoplasts. For each species efficient protoplast formation with high protoplast concentrations and low levels of non-protoplast units was obtained with mycelia grown in medium without glycerine. The low regeneration frequencies of protoplasts of S. canescens and S. limosus on R2 medium were increased substantially by the addition of 1% gelatin. The use of single colonies, rather than spores, to establish mycelial cultures was found routinely to produce good protoplast preparations.     

Efficient protoplast regeneration for some homofermentative lactobacilli and pediococci

Conditions for protoplast regeneration were examined for several strains of homofermentative lactobacilli and pediococci isolated from silage. Attempts to regenerate protoplasts using previously published agar regeneration media for lactobacilli were unsuccessful for most of the strains. Replacing or increasing colloidal substances in a medium containing raffinose and MgCl(2) as osmotic stabilizers enabled efficient regeneration of the protoplasts at a frequency of 10-99%. A medium containing gelatin, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and no agar was effective for Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus pentosus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus protoplasts. An agar medium containing PVP (PVP medium) was effective for Pediococcus sp. protoplasts, and addition of agarose to the PVP medium enabled regeneration of Lactobacillus casei protoplasts. A medium containing calcium alginate gel and no agar was effective for Lactobacillus curvatus protoplasts. The type of colloidal substance required for protoplast regeneration varied from species to species. This result suggested that several kinds of media may be necessary to regenerate protoplasts for all the genera of lactobacilli and pediococci.     

Growth of Streptococcal Protoplasts and L-Colonies on Membrane Filters

Membrane filters (Millipore Corp.; pore sizes 1.2 to 0.22 mum) were placed on the surface of L-phase growth medium solidified with agar. The filter and the surrounding medium were inoculated with either protoplasts or stable broth-grown L-phase variants obtained from Streptococcus faecium strain F24. The L-phase inoculum gave rise to viable L-colonies on the filters and on the medium, whereas protoplasts gave colony formation only on the medium. However, when the Millipore filters were covered by a layer of solid L-phase medium, 75 mum or greater in depth, before inoculation with protoplasts, colony formation resulted but with atypical morphology. In contrast, inoculation of protoplasts on Nuclepore and Sartorius membrane filters did give rise to L-colonies on the surface and underneath the filters after 2 days of incubation at 37 C. Submicroscopic, viable L-phase elements produced during colony formation were capable of passing through membrane filters with pore channels as small as 0.22 mum; these elements required transfer from underneath the filters to fresh agar medium in order to develop into L-phase colonies. Membrane filters were also placed on the surface of L-phase growth medium solidified with gelatin. Inoculation of the filters and surrounding medium with a lysozyme-prepared protoplast suspension gave rise to streptococci on the surface of the filters and on the medium. However, inoculation with the stable broth-grown L-phase variants gave rise to atypical colonies on the medium and only small patches of abortive growth on the filters.     

Optimum conditions for yeast protoplast release and regeneration in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida tropicalis using gut enzymes of the giant African snail Achatina achatina

Release of viable protoplasts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida tropicalis was achieved using fresh crude enzyme extracts of the giant African snail Achatina achatina. Optimum results of 2.8 x 10(6) protoplast ml(-1) were obtained when 1 g (wet wt) of cell slurry from the yeast strains was first treated with 1% beta-mercaptoethanol for 10 min and incubated with the undiluted crude enzyme for 120 min using 1.0 mol l(-1) sorbitol as osmotic stabilizer. Protoplast yield was enhanced with higher enzyme concentrations, longer digestion times and treatment of cells with beta-mercaptoethanol. Percentage regeneration of protoplast to viable cells in isotonic medium containing 0.01 mol l(-1) CaCl2 was in the range of 52-77%. These findings could be useful in the genetic manipulation of yeast of industrial importance.     

Somatic Embryogenesis and Plant Regeneration from Protoplasts of Cowpea (Vigna sinensis)

Immature cotyledons of cowpea (Vigna sinensis Endlo) were used for protoplast isolation. Enzyme solution for protoplast isolation contained 40% cellulase Onozuka R-10,0.30% Macerozyme R-10 and 2% hemicellulase. The purified protoplasts were cultured in Bs,MS or KM8p liquid medium in dark (25℃) at a density of 1 × 105–5 × 105/ml. The protoplasts started cell division in 3–5 days . Sustained cell divisions resulted ill formation of cell clusters and small calli,with cell division frequency reaching 23%–28% in MS medium . Calli of 2 mm in size were transferred onto MSB (MS salts+B5 vitamins) medium with 2 mg/L 2,4-D, 0. 5mg /L BA forfurther growth. Embryogenic calli appeared on this medium. After passage to fresh medium with the same composition, the embryogenic calli were transferred into MSB liquid medium to establish suspension culture. When the suspended calli were transferred back onto MSB agar medium with 0. 1 mg /L IAA, 0.5mg/L KT, 5% mannitol (cultured in light,2000 lx,12h/d), a lot of adventitious roots formed in 7–10 days, and then somatic embryos formed from the protoplast derived calli. But only a few embryoids developed further into the cotyledonary stage ,and the others died at globular, heart-shaped, or torpeto stage . Finally, some cotyledonary embryoids germinated and developed into plantlets or shoots with leaves.     

Cell fusion between L-forms and protoplasts of Staphylococcus aureus

Mixtures of various combinations of Lysostaphin protoplasts and stable L-forms of Staphylococcus aureus, which have different markers for drug resistance, were treated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to examine the development of doubly resistant fusion products (fusants). To recover doubly resistant colonies as L-forms, they were incubated in 4.5% NaCl-brain heart infusion (BHI) broth containing penicillin G (PCG) for enrichment culture and cultured in PCG-4.5% NaCl-BHI agar medium (method 1), while to recover doubly resistant fusants as L-forms and coccal forms, they were grown on reversion medium (R medium) which causes reversion of protoplasts or fusants to parent type cells, and then cultured on assay media, i.e., R medium, BHI agar medium or PCG-4.5% NaCl-BHI agar medium (method 2). Under both experimental conditions, doubly resistant fusants developed as L-form cells by PEG treatment of pairs of protoplasts carrying the chloramphenicol (CP)-resistance plasmid and L-forms having chromosomal resistance to streptomycin (SM). In the reverse combinations, i.e., protoplasts showing chromosomal SM-resistance and L-form cells carrying the CP-resistance plasmid, the first method gave no doubly resistant colonies. By the second method, without enrichment culture on R medium, the latter combination gave doubly resistant fusants as L-form, coccal-type and mixed-type colonial forms, while when the PEG-treated mixture was enriched on R medium, fusants were obtained exclusively as the coccal type on either R medium or BHI agar assay medium. Neither of the methods yielded colonies of doubly resistant fusants on PEG-treatment of pairs of protoplasts and L-forms both of which were chromosomal, but with different drug resistances. These results show that PEG-induced cell fusion between protoplasts and L-forms of S. aureus, unlike the fusion between protoplasts or between L-forms, resulted in transfer of the drug resistance controlled by the plasmid to the fusion products. The fusants obtained were L-forms in method 1, and coccal type in the method 2.     

Cytological study of early stages of regeneration of protoplasts of fungi and Streptomyces

Early stages of Penicillium chrysogenum 51 and Streptomyces lividans 66 protoplast regeneration on solid media were studied microscopically under conditions of microcompartments. It was shown that at the early regeneration stages there were both rapid reversion into the mycelial form and a retarded one. In P. chrysogenum retarded regeneration resulted in formation of hypha-like structures or protoplast breaking into fragments of various sizes. Some of the fragments restored the cell walls and mycelial organization whereas the others lysed. As a result of the breaking and compartmentalization of the viable areas one protoplasts formed several centers of P. chrysogenum colony reversion. Retarded regeneration of protoplasts in S. lividans 66 resulted in their growth and multiplication in the protoplast-like L-form. On media with penicillin, glycine and horse serum there were isolated colonies of S. lividans L-forms subject to passages or reversion depending on the medium composition.     

Formation, Fusion, and Regeneration of Protoplasts from Wild-Type and Auxotrophic Strains of the White Rot Basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium

A preparation of two commercial enzymes was used to liberate protoplasts from 16-h-old mycelium of Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Regeneration frequencies of up to 5% were attained when the protoplasts were plated in a medium containing 10% sorbose and 3% agar. Fusion of protoplasts from different auxotrophic strains in polyethylene glycol-Ca²⁺ produced heterokaryons. Separation of the heterokaryons into their constituent homokaryotic strains could be effected through protoplast release and formation of colonies on regeneration agar.     

银杏雌配子体发育及原生质体分离与培养的研究

Results of observation showed that the female gametophyte of Ginkgo biloba was at the coenocytic stage from March 30ty to May 30ty. A density of 6-8 x 10(5) protoplasts/ml with a viability of 87.3% was achieved when the female gametopytes collected from May 8th to 15th were treated with 0.5% cellulase Onzuka R-10, 0.5% Pectolyase for 4-5 hours. The thin-layer liquid Murashige and Tuker medium modified by omitting ammonium ions and supplementing with glutamine 1000 mg/L, Vc 5 mg/L, benzyladenine 1.0 mg/L and naphthaleneacetic acid 3.0 mg/L was used for the protoplast culture and multiple cell colonies were obtained.     

Fertile plant regeneration from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) protoplasts isolated from primary calluses

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) protoplasts were isolated from the immature embryo-derived primary calluses. These protoplasts were cultured with nurse cells, and they then divided to form colonies. After transfer of the colonies to regeneration medium, either green or albino shoots were regenerated from these colonies. A high agarose concentration (2.4% w/v) in the protoplast culture medium promoted protoplast division. The plantlets that developed strong root systems were transferred to the soil. These plants flowered and have set seeds.     

Studies on Regeneration Media for Bacillus subtilis Protoplasts

Bacillus subtilis protoplasts regenerate on media containing horse serum, bovine serum or gelatin. These compounds could be replaced by polyvinyl pyrrolidone or dextran, and a medium which contained 30 g polyvinyl pyrrolidone and 20 mg casamino acids per liter with chemically defined ingredients was especially useful for selection of prototrophs, e.g., by protoplast fusion. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone and other plasma expanders stimulated protoplast division in liquid media and improved protoplast survival on agar media.     

Incorporation of the whole chromosomal DNA in protoplast lysates into competent cells of Bacillus subtilis

Competent cells of Bacillus subtilis AC870 (purB, leuB, trpC, ald-1) were transformed to Ade+, Trp+, or Ade+ Trp+ with DNA in protoplast lysates of B. subtilis AC819 (hisH, tet-1, rpsL, smo-1). The cotransfer ratio of purB to trpC was constant at 7-9% (Ade+ Trp+/Trp+) or 3% (Ade+ Trp+/Ade+) at protoplast concentrations of 2.7 x 10(3) to approximately 2.7 x 10(6) per ml. The whole chromosomal DNA must be certainly incorporated into competent cells from the following reasons; (1) purB is opposite to trpC on the chromosome, (2) 2.7 x 10(3) protoplasts per ml is about 100 times lower than 3.2 x 10(5) competent cells per ml, and (3) the cotransfer ratio is constant at all the concentrations. Similar results were obtained with the cotransfer ratio of purA to trpC. The transformation requires several Com proteins including ComK.     

Isolation,Culture and Plant Regeneration of Protoplasts from an Embryogenic Callus Tissue of Gossypium hirsutum

Protoplasts were isolated and cultured from hypocotyl embryogenic callus tissue of Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. "Lumian 6". The highest yields of viable protoplasts were obtained from a vigorous embryogenic callus 7 to 9 d old subcultured on MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/L IAA and 1 mg/L KT using a solution of 1% cellulase Onozuka R-10, 1% pectinase, 0.7 mmol/L KH2PO4, 2.5 mmol/L Ca2+ , and 0.5 mol/L osmoticum (mannitol), at pH 5.8 and at a temperature of 30 ℃. After separation and purification (in 21% sucrose floatation medium), the protoplasts were laid up in a quiet liquid protoplast culture medium containing K3 salts, NT vitamins with 0.1 mg/L 2,4-D, 0.2 mg/L KT and 0.45 mol/L glucose for 10 to 15 min. The protoplasts were fractioned into an upper and a lower layer in the centrifugal tube. Most of the protoplasts in the lower layer were smaller, round and rich in cytoplasts in which contain many granular substances. When this kind of protoplasts were cultured in the thin liquid protoplast culture medium with a density of 1 x l0s to 5 x los protoplasts/mL, the division and the callus formation of the regenerated cells were easily observed. The first divisions occurred in 3 days and small cell clusters could be seen after 2 to 3 weeks in the culture. At this moment, the addition of the protoplast culture medium with decreased osmoticum once or twice is needed for the continuous protoplasts division to form calli. Regenerated calli, 3 to 5 mm in diameter, were transferred in succession on MS medium with 2 mg/L IAA and 1 mg/L KT for the initiation of embryogenesis. The embryoids germinated on the hormonefree MS medium and a number of plantlets were obtained. It seems that using vigorous embryogenic callus and decreasing osmoticum are the two critical factors for plant regeneration of cotton protoplasts.     

Mesophyll Protoplast Culture and Plant Regeneration of Oriental Planetree (Platanus orientalis)

Large populations of mesophyll protoplasts were released from the leaves of 1.5–2 month old sterile seedlings, with a high protoplast yield (3.7× 10 6g-1FW) after protoplast purification. The purified protoplasts were cultured in a modified K8p liquid medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L 2,4-D, 1 mg/L NAA and 0.5 mg/L BA. Higher density (1× 106/ml) in the initial culture of protoplasts is favourable to the division of cultured mesophyll protoplasts of this woody species among the densities tested. The protoplasts started to divide after 6 days of culture, and achieved 26.8% division frequency by 14 days. Sustained divisions resulted in mass production of cell colonies and small calli in 8 weeks. The calli further grew to 2–3mm on the gelrite-solidified K8 medium supplemented with 0.2 mg/L NAA aud 0.5 mg/L BA. Then, they were transferred onto the MSB proliferation medium with 0.1 mg/L NAA and 0.25 mg/L BA, where compact and cream-coloured calli were formed. Shoot formation was initiated on MSB differentiation medium coraming 0.5 mg/L IAA, 1 mg/L each of BA and ZT. It was observed that the frequency of shoot formation was about 28.7%. Whole plantlets were regenerated upon transferring 3 cm shoots to 1/2MS medium with 0.5mg/L IBA and 0.1mg/L BA, from which they were already transplanted into pots and grew well in the phytotron of Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology.