High salinity alters the germination behavior of Bacillus subtilis spores with nutrient and nonnutrient germinants.

ABSTRACT: The effect of high NaCl concentrations on nutrient and nonnutrient germination of Bacillus subtilis spores was systematically investigated. Under all conditions, increasing NaCl concentrations caused increasing, albeit reversible, inhibition of germination. High salinity delayed and increased the heterogeneity of germination initiation, slowed the germination kinetics of individual spores and the whole spore population, and decreased the overall germination efficiency, as observed by a variety of different analytical techniques. Germination triggered by nutrients which interact with different germinant receptors (GRs) was affected differently by NaCl, suggesting that GRs are targets of NaCl inhibition. However, NaCl also inhibited GR-independent germination, suggesting that there is at lea

SUBMITTER: Nagler K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3911066 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature