Chemical Composition of Exosporium from Spores of Bacillus cereus

Homogeneous fragments of exosporium were extricated in centigram amounts from dormant spores of Bacillus cereus and analyzed for intrinsic constituents. The membrane proved to be chemically complex but not unique, consisting mainly of protein (52%), amino and neutral polysaccharides (20%), lipids (18%), and ash (4%). Seventeen common amino acids were identified by chromatography, and were present in usual proportions except for low levels of cystine-cysteine, methionine, tyrosine, and histidine. Glucosamine was the only amino sugar, and glucose and rhamnose were the principal neutral sugars. The lipid fraction contained 5.5% cardiolipin as the only phospholipid, 12.5% neutral lipids, and at least 19 fatty acids, among which normal C16 and C18 ones predominated. Calcium and phosphorus occurred in the ash. Small amounts of teichoic, ribonucleic, and dipicolinic acids were believed to represent contamination.

[1]  E. King,et al.  The colorimetric determination of phosphorus. , 1932, The Biochemical journal.

[2]  G SCHMIDT,et al.  A method for the determination of desoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid, and phosphoproteins in animal tissues. , 1945, The Journal of biological chemistry.

[3]  W. C. Schneider,et al.  Phosphorus compounds in animal tissues; extraction and estimation of desoxypentose nucleic acid and of pentose nucleic acid. , 1945, The Journal of biological chemistry.

[4]  Z. Dische,et al.  A specific color reaction of methylpentoses and a spectrophotometric micromethod for their determination. , 1948, The Journal of biological chemistry.

[5]  M. Salton,et al.  Studies of the bacterial cell wall. IV. The composition of the cell walls of some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. , 1953, Biochimica et biophysica acta.

[6]  R. Belcher,et al.  The determination of glucosamine , 1954 .

[7]  D. Rhodes Micro-determination of Phosphorus , 1955, Nature.

[8]  J. Folch,et al.  A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipides from animal tissues. , 1957, The Journal of biological chemistry.

[9]  A. Abrams O-acetyl groups in the cell wall of Streptococcus faecalis. , 1958, The Journal of biological chemistry.

[10]  J. B. Baumann-Grace,et al.  Specific Exosporium Reaction of Bacillus megaterium , 1959 .

[11]  H. Rogers,et al.  The products of the partial acid hydrolysis of the mucopeptide from cell walls of Micrococcus lysodeikticus. , 1959, Biochemical Journal.

[12]  L. D. Metcalfe,et al.  The Rapid Preparation of Fatty Acid Esters for Gas Chromatographic Analysis , 1961 .

[13]  P. Wolff,et al.  [Thin layer chromatography of phosphatides and glycolipids]. , 1961, Biochemische Zeitschrift.

[14]  D. Ohye,et al.  THE COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE OF BACTERIAL SPORES , 1963, The Journal of cell biology.

[15]  J. J. Kolb,et al.  CARBOHYDRATE ANALYSIS OF BACTERIAL SUBSTANCES BY A NEW ANTHRONE PROCEDURE. , 1964, Analytical biochemistry.

[16]  Richard S. Thomas ULTRASTRUCTURAL LOCALIZATION OF MINERAL MATTER IN BACTERIAL SPORES BY MICROINCINERATION , 1964, The Journal of cell biology.

[17]  P. Gerhardt,et al.  ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE EXOSPORIUM ENVELOPING SPORES OF BACILLUS CEREUS , 1964, Journal of bacteriology.

[18]  R. Dreisbach SUBMICROGRAM DETERMINATION OF INORGANIC PHOSPHATE IN BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL. , 1965, Analytical biochemistry.

[19]  C. Cooper,et al.  POSSIBLE SOURCES OF ERROR IN THE DETERMINATION OF ORGANIC PHOSPHATE BY THE ISOBUTANOL-BENZENE EXTRACTION METHOD. , 1965, Analytical biochemistry.

[20]  Y. Hachisuka,et al.  Fine filaments on the outside of the exosporium of Bacillus anthracis spores , 1966, Journal of bacteriology.

[21]  P. Gerhardt,et al.  Structural details of anthrax spores during stages of transformation into vegetative cells. , 1966, Journal of bacteriology.

[22]  T. Kaneda Fatty Acids in the Genus Bacillus I. Iso- and Anteiso-Fatty Acids as Characteristic Constituents of Lipids in 10 Species , 1967, Journal of bacteriology.

[23]  W. G. Murrell The Biochemistry of the Bacterial Endospore , 1967 .

[24]  P. Gerhardt Cytology of Bacillus anthracis. , 1967, Federation proceedings.

[25]  W. Hodgkiss,et al.  The morphology and ultrastructure of the spore and exosporium of some Clostridium species. , 1967, Journal of general microbiology.

[26]  A. Aronson,et al.  Biosynthesis of bacterial spore coats. , 1968, Journal of molecular biology.

[27]  S. Holt,et al.  The Fine Structure of Bacillus fastidiosus , 1968 .

[28]  I. L. Roth,et al.  Ultrastructural differences in the exosporium of the Sterne and Vollum strains of Bacillus anthracis. , 1968, Canadian journal of microbiology.

[29]  A Kornberg,et al.  Biochemical Studies of Bacterial Sporulation and Germination XIV. Phospholipids in Bacillus megaterium , 1969, Journal of bacteriology.

[30]  A Kornberg,et al.  Biochemical Studies of Bacterial Sporulation and Germination XV. Fatty Acids in Growth, Sporulation, and Germination of Bacillus megaterium , 1969, Journal of bacteriology.

[31]  S. Holt,et al.  Comparative ultrastructure of selected aerobic spore-forming bacteria: a freeze-etching study. , 1969, Bacteriological reviews.

[32]  D. Smyth,et al.  The determination of glucosamine and galactosamine. , 1970, Analytical biochemistry.

[33]  PERMEABILITY OF BACTERIAL SPORES 1. CHARACTERIZATION OF GLUCOSE UPTAKE , .