SUGARS MEDIATED GERMINATION IN SPORES OF Bacillus megaterium

Abstract

A total of eleven sugars were evaluated for their potential to endow germination in spores of Bacillus megaterium MTCC 2949. Germination of spores in response to different sugars was studied by two well-known germination assays namely reduction in O.D. (600nm) and refractility examination. As a result, reduction in O.D. (600 nm) varied from ~3.90 to 42.01% depending upon type and concentration of different sugars. Spores were found germinated well with a reduction in absorbance of 30% or more with cellobiose, dextrose, 2-deoxy-D-glucose, glucosamine, maltose, methyl-α-D- glucoside, sorbose, starch and xylose. On the other hand, germination was found at a poor or negligible rate (i.e., < 6% reduction of absorbance) with D-galactose and rhamnose. The finding of this assay was further validated by refractility study using phase contrast microscopy. The outcome of presented work reveals that all sugars are not necessarily capable of inducing germination in bacterial spores and hence induction of germination is linked with the requirement of specific sugars.