Instability of the protoplast membrane of facultative alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. C-125 at alkaline pH values below the pH optimum for growth.

Cell walls of facultative alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. C-125 consist of three polymers (peptidoglycan, teichuronopeptide and teichuronic acid). Protoplasts prepared from the strain with egg-white lysozyme regenerated cell walls at neutral pH, but not at pH above 8.5. The protoplasts were susceptible to lysis at alkaline pH. The protoplasts exposed to alkaline pH rapidly burst and lost ability to regenerate their cell walls. The alkali-instability was similar to that of protoplasts from neutrophilic Bacillus subtilis 168. The membrane vesicles were also labile at alkaline pH. The acidic wall components of strain C-125 may contribute to stabilization of the cytoplasmic membrane of cells growing at alkaline pH, probably by shielding the membrane from direct exposure to an alkaline environment.