Effect of 3-Phenylpropanoic Acid on Capsule and Cellulases of Ruminococcus albus 8.

The morphology and cellulases of Ruminococcus albus 8 were markedly affected by the inclusion of 3-phenylpropanoic acid (PPA) in a defined growth medium. PPA-grown bacteria produced substantial quantities of cell-bound cellulase, as well as a very high-molecular-weight extracellular enzyme and lesser amounts of two low-molecular-weight enzymes. PPA-deprived bacteria produced greater total amounts of cellulase, but all of it exists in soluble, low-molecular-weight forms. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the availability of PPA did not affect the kinds of proteins produced, but the distribution of two major proteins between cells and supernatant was PPA dependent. These two proteins (85 and 102 kilodaltons) were primarily associated with the cells of PPA-grown bacteria but were found chiefly in the supernatants of PPA-deprived cultures. Examination of thin sections of PPA-grown R. albus 8 by transmission electron microscopy showed a lobed ruthenium red-staining capsule surrounding the cell wall, as well as small vesicular structures (diameter, 0.05 to 0.06 mum) which appeared to aggregate into larger spherical units (diameter, 0.2 to 0.3 mum). In contrast, thin sections of PPA-deprived cells were devoid of vesicles and showed little or no capsule surrounding the cells.