Surface enhancement of sporulation and manganese oxidation by a marine bacillus.

In a seawater medium containing 0.005% yeast extract and 0.005% peptone, a marine bacillus, SG-1, sporulated only when associated with solid surfaces. The spores (rather than the vegetative cells) were responsible for the oxidation of manganese, and the degree of sporulation was determined by the surface area available rather than by the chemical nature of the clay or silica surface used.