Abstract
Tadpole-like cells of Sporolactobacillus inulinus are nothing but partial spheroplasts formed by the imbalance between cell-elongation and cell-wall formation. This phenomenon was termed auto-spheroplastization. By applying flavin-linked lactate dehydrogenase technique, surface of this organism was found to act as a barrier against the invasion of self-producing D(-)- lactic acid. Auto-spheroplastization can also conveniently be used for showing the actual osmotic barrier located on a cytoplasmic membrane.
