Growth of Micrococcus lysodeikticus bacteria on a deuterated medium
Eremin, V.A.; Chekulaeva, L.N.; Kharat'ian, E.F.; Ostrovskiĭ, D.N.
Mikrobiologiia 47(4): 629-636
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0026-3656
PMID: 703645
Accession: 040232746
The object of this work was to prepare deuterated growth media and to adapt Micrococcus lysodeikticus to a medium containing deuterated-substituted organic substances and deuterium oxide instead of water. M. lysodeikticus was grown on a medium prepared from the "deuterated-cells" of Chlorella, and was capable of absorbing selectively protons from such a medium containing high concentrations of deuterium. Its deuterated cells ("monsters") produced structures consisting of several (up to 8) smaller cells, angular in shape and having a thicker (2--3 times) cell wall. Apparently, adaptation to a deuterated medium is accompanied with changes in the cell wall biosynthesis as a result of which the separation of daughter cells is interfered with in the course of cell division, and the cells are more resistant to the action of lysozyme.