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Abstract
SUMMARY: Rapid sporulation of a strain of Clostridium pasteurianum has been achieved in anaerobic batch culture, using a simple, defined medium containing only salts, glucose, l-cysteine and ammonium ions. Electron microscopy revealed that spore coat production preceded formation of spore cortex; both spore coat and exosporium were multilamellar structures, and the exosporium appeared to possess a central, basal pore. The production of a refractile spore from a vegetative cell took about 9 to 10 h. at 35° from septation to engulfment of the forespore took 1.9 h.; spore coat material appeared 2.9 h. after engulfment, and spore cortex deposition commenced after a further 2.6 h. Approximately 80 % of the organisms produced mature, refractile spores. The various developmental stages occurred sufficiently synchronously to render the system amenable to future, correlative biochemical investigation.
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