The Effect of Various Extraction Procedures on Germination of PCMB-treated Bacillus megaterium Spores

Abstract

When treated with p-chloromercuribenzoate (PCMB), spores of Bacillus megaterium ATCC 19213 were changed to be able to germinate with glucose. When further treated with 8M urea, the PCMB-treated spores lost their ability to germinate with glucose. The ratio of germination reaction to alanine-inosine solution remained high after the two treatments. In the urea treatment, 50% of the mercury contained was released from the PCMB-treated spores.
The urea extract of the PCMB-treated spores exhibited at least two fractions of mercury by Sephadex G-25 column chromatography. The greater portion of the mercury contained was found in one fraction consisting of low molecular compounds which were ninhydrin-positive, and the remaining portion in the other fraction consisting of high molecular compounds. These results suggest that the PCMB-bound components eluted in the extract may play an important role in a specific reaction of spores against germinants.