THE SPHEROPLASTS OF BORDETELLA PERTUSSIS

Abstract

The formation of spheroplasts by Bordetella pertussis in fluid medium containing glycine has been demonstrated. The B. pertussis organisms were grown in a fluid medium containing glycine with aeration on a rotary shaker at 35 °C for 40 hours. Maximum spheroplast production was obtained by increasing the basic inoculum 10-fold to 5 × 107 organisms per milliliter.The B. pertussis spheroplasts are large, round, vacuolated cells resembling those described in other Gram-negative species. They are fragile, autolyze readily at pH values of 7.9–8.3, and are more susceptible to mechanical rupture and enzyme attack than are the bacilli.No adaptation of the bacilli to glycine was observed on successive transfer through increasing concentrations of glycine, and the spheroplasts revert to the bacillary form on transfer to a suitable solid or fluid medium.