Changes in cytochrome contents and respiratory activity of Bacillus cereus Strain T during germination, vegetative growth and sporulation

Vegetative cells of Bacillus cereus Strain T contain cytochromeb-562, a minor b-type component, in addition to known components,cytochrome a+a₃, cytochrome b-557 and cytochrome c-551. Also,the spores contain low but definite amounts of cytochromes b-562and c-551, which were oxidized when the spores were shaken withair. Contents of cytochromes a, b and c per cell and per cellnitrogen, and the activity of glucose oxidation increased duringspore germination and elongation. During the stage precedingfirst cell division, cytochrome contents per cell increasedin parallel with the increase of cell nitrogen, while the activityof glucose oxidation decreased. During early exponential growth,the content of cytochrome b per cell nitrogen and respiratoryactivity with glucose again increased. When cells entered thesporulation stage, characterized by structural changes insidethe cells, the activity of glucose oxidation began to decrease,while that of acetate or succinate oxidation started to increase.During the sporulation process, the contents of the three cytochromecomponents continued to increase and reached the highest levelin cells containing completed spores, but the activity of respirationwith endogenous or added substrates was negligible in thesecells. (Received November 10, 1975; )