Surface Charges of Two Types of Bacillus megaterium Spores Differing in Their Response to n-Butane

SUMMARY: Rode & Foster (1965) showed that the germination of spores of Bacillus megaterium is sometimes affected by hydrocarbons such as n-butane: one type of spore (al),which responds germinatively to l-alanine and inosine, is inhibited by n-butane; a second type of spore (gn), which responds to glucose and KNO3, is not inhibited, but even accelerated a little by the same compound. The study of the biological activity of these kinds of compounds in respect of bacterial spores is useful in elucidating the mechanism of germination. In this communication, the effect of n-butane on the superficial charges of the spores was investigated; differences in electron microscopical morphology have already been shown by Rode (1968): the alanine type spores have a veined surface with a superficial beaded ultrastructure pattern, the glucose type spores have the well-known prominent equatorial ridge and polar knob appearance.