Reproduction of Bacteria from the Large Bodies of B. funduliformis ∗,†

Abstract

The significance of large round bodies which develop in various bacterial cultures was discussed in a preceding paper. 1 The germination of the large bodies usually produces a peculiar growth which in appearance and morphology is similar to the pleuropneumonia group of organisms. Observations of certain cultures suggest that this is not the only way in which the large bodies germinate; they may reproduce also bacteria of usual shape and size. The development of bacteria inside the large bodies was clearly visible in one instance in a colon bacillus culture. 2 The observation of a B. funduli-jormis strain in which this process occurred regularly and could be reproduced at will allowed a more thorough study of it.

Transformation of bacteria into large swollen forms is a characteristic property of B. fundulifomis. In the first strain which was studied, the germination of the large bodies produced pleuropneumonia-like colonies which could be propagated in pure culture. In a second strain, under certain conditions, all bacteria swell up to large bodies, but these gave only bacterial growth in transplants. The method of derivation of the bacteria from the large bodies was not definitely established, but preparations made a few hours after transplantation suggested that the bacteria developed inside of the large bodies and were freed by their disintegrations. A third strain presented special advantages for the study of the development of large bodies. The cultures of this strain on solid media consisted of small regular bacilli. In liquid media most of the bacilli swell up into large bodies. Bacillary forms were seen only rarely in broth cultures 36 hr old. After further incubation the large bodies disappeared and the culture consisted again of regular bacilli.