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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2002, p. 3172-3175, Vol. 68, No. 6
0099-2240/02/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.6.3172-3175.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Mechanisms of Induction of Germination of Bacillus subtilis Spores by High Pressure
Madan Paidhungat,1,
Barbara Setlow,1 William B. Daniels,2 Dallas Hoover,3 Efstathia Papafragkou,3 and Peter Setlow1*
Department of Biochemistry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06032,1
Departments of Physics,2
Animal and Food Science, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 197173
Received 16 November 2001/
Accepted 25 March 2002
Spores of Bacillus subtilis lacking all germinant receptors germinate >500-fold slower than wild-type spores in nutrients and were not induced to germinate by a pressure of 100 MPa. However, a pressure of 550 MPa induced germination of spores lacking all germinant receptors as well as of receptorless spores lacking either of the two lytic enzymes essential for cortex hydrolysis during germination. Complete germination of spores either lacking both cortex-lytic enzymes or with a cortex not attacked by these enzymes was not induced by a pressure of 550 MPa, but treatment of these mutant spores with this pressure caused the release of dipicolinic acid. These data suggest the following conclusions: (i) a pressure of 100 MPa induces spore germination by activating the germinant receptors; and (ii) a pressure of 550 MPa opens channels for release of dipicolinic acid from the spore core, which leads to the later steps in spore germination.
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biochemistry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06032. Phone: (860) 679-2607. Fax: (860) 679-3408. E-mail:
setlow{at}sun.uchc.edu.
Present address: Maxygen Incorporated, Redwood City, CA 94063.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2002, p. 3172-3175, Vol. 68, No. 6
0099-2240/02/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.6.3172-3175.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
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