Chemical analyses of asporogenic mutants of Bacillus cereus.

Lundgren, D. G. (Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.) and J. J. Cooney. Chemical analyses of asporogenic mutants of Bacillus cereus. J. Bacteriol. 83:1287-1293. 1962.-Bacillus cereus ATCC 4342 and three temperature-sensitive asporogenic mutants were compared regarding some basic cellular components and response to metals in a synthetic medium. The mutants sporulate when cultured at 28 C but are asporogenic when cultured at 37 C; the parent sporulates at both temperatures. Results of amino acid analyses of cells harvested at characteristic times during the culture cycle revealed no qualitative differences which could be related to the asporogenic nature of the mutants. All sporulating cultures synthesized dipicolinic acid during sporulation, but asporogenic cultures did not. The patterns of zinc, potassium, sodium, and calcium uptake, but not of iron or manganese uptake, appear to be affected in the asporogenic mutants.