DEGENERATIVE PROCESSES IN A STRAIN OF CLOSTRIDIUM BUTYLICUM

Abstract

Changes in the metabolism of a strain of C. butvlicum undergoing degeneration in subcultures without heat shock treatment were investigated. After degeneration started, the strain used less sugar and produced progressively less butanol and isopropyl alcohol and more butyric acid. The culture usually died out after the 12 to 15th passage. As degeneration proceeded clostridial forms decreased until they disappeared completely and no polysaccharide was formed. The vegetative cells showed a typical granulation. Degeneration was enhanced by acidifying the medium, by phenol, and by NaCl. On solid media, normally fermenting cells produced "S" colonies, and cells from fermentations undergoing degeneration produced "R" colonies. By agglutination and agglutinin-adsorption tests it was shown that cells from normal fermentations contain a somatic antigen in addition to those present in cells from fermentations undergoing degeneration. Degeneration in this species, therefore, appeared to be similar to the well known S-R variation in other bacteria.