MOTILE CELLS OF ACTINOSYNNEMA PRETIOSUM SUBSP. AURANTICUM, A RARE ACTINOMYCETE

Abstract

Motile cells are released into liquid media from the aerial mycelia of Actinosynnema pretiosum subsp. auranticum strain N-1001 and from the substrate mycelia of its bald mutant N-1039. These cells are initially without flagella and are non-motile. Functional flagella of cells from the aerial mycelia develop after 60min of incubation at 28°; the cells then become motile. Substrate mycelia cells become motile after 45min of incubation. Flagella formation and cell motility in both aerial and substrate mycelia require exogenous amino acids; cells incubated with water alone rarely become motile. Rifampicin and chloramphenicol inhibit the formation of flagella in these cells. This suggests that the expression of genes involved in the flagella formation is triggered by aquatic environments with exogenous amino acids.