Morphological changes during conversion of Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum to protoplasts by sucrose-induced autolysis.

When exponentially growing cells of Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum (ATCC 13564) were exposed to hypertonic concentrations of sucrose (0.3--0.5 M), rapid degradation of the cell wall occurred (sucrose-induced autolysis). The morphological changes from the original rod-shaped cells to protoplasts during the sucrose-induced autolysis were investigated by phase contrast and electron microscopy. When the cells were autolysed in the sucrose solution (0.35 M), each cell began to swell at the middle or at one pole and then formed a small bulb at the swollen part. The bulk consisted of the cytoplasm which was enveloped by the plasma membrane and extruded from the small gap produced by the degradation of the cell wall. The bulb gradually enlarged as lysis progressed, and finally became a protoplast which had no cell wall. The large pre-division cell frequently formed the bulb at the middle (septal site), while the small post-division cell formed the bulb at the pole.