microbiology, Vol 145, 1043-1048, Copyright © 1999 by Society for General Microbiology

ARTICLES

Real-time monitoring of Bacillus subtilis endospore components by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy during germination

HY Cheung, J Cui and S Sun
Research Group for Bioactive Products, Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Ave, Hong Kong

Chemical changes of particular Bacillus subtilis spore components were monitored by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR/FTIR) during spore germination on a ZnSe internal reflection element. Within minutes of the initiation of spore germination, significant changes in the amount of calcium dipicolinate (DPA-Ca) and proteins were noted in the wild-type strain. The changes in a germination mutant (strain 1G9, gerD) were similar to those in the wild-type strain, but the rates of change were slower. The changes in another germination mutant (strain 1G7, gerA) were very different from those in the first two strains: germination was slow and incomplete, and proteins and DPA-Ca remained unaltered throughout the course of the germination study. This technique thus offers a sensitive and non-destructive method for real-time monitoring of various cellular components during spore germination.

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