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BIOCHEMICAL AND CYTOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS DURING THE REVERSING PROCESS FROM SPHEROPLASTS TO ROD-FORM CELLS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI¹

^a Department of Biochemistry, National Institute of Health, Tokyo, Japan

ABSTRACT

HIROKAWA, HIDEO (National Institute of Health, Tokyo, Japan). Biochemical and cytological observations during the reversing process from spheroplasts to rod-form cells in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 84:1161–1168. 1962.—Spheroplasts of Escherichia coli B-054 were formed by penicillin, and the reversing process from spheroplasts to rod-form cells was examined. The amount of DNA, RNA, and protein in a single spheroplast increased to four to five times more than that of a rod-form cell during the spheroplast formation. Ultraviolet-absorptive particles, probably nuclei, were localized in several regions within a spheroplast. Morphological changes during the process of spheroplast reversion to rod-form cells were precisely followed. The number of rod-form cells, determined by colony counting according to the time course of reversion, increased very rapidly from the beginning of reversion, without a lag phase. From this evidence, it was concluded that a single spheroplast germinates into several rod-form cells.

² Present address: Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo, Japan.

¹ A preliminary report of this work was read at the monthly meeting of the National Institute of Health and the Institute for Infectious Disease, University of Tokyo, December, 1959.