Nutritional Requirements for Vegetative Growth Of
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NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR VEGETATIVE GROWTH OF MYXOCOCCUS XANTHUS MARTIN DWORKIN' Department of Microbiology, Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, Indiana Received for publication February 8, 1962 ABSTRACT lation and germination in Bacillus have been shown to be nutritionally dependent (Hardwick DWORKIN, MARTIN (Indiana University Medi- and Foster, 1952; Hills, 1950). The formation of cal Center, Indianapolis, Ind.). Nutritional re- perithecia in Melanospora can be regulated by the quirements for vegetative growth of Myxococcus nature and concentration of various constituents xanthus. J. Bacteriol. 84:250-257. 1962.-This in- of the medium (Asthana and Hawker, 1936), and vestigation was part of a program to clarify the fruiting-body formation by Myxococcus (Oetker, environmental regulation of fruiting-body forma- 1953) and Chondromyces (Kiuhlwein, 1950) has tion in a fruiting myxobacterium. By use of a been shown to depend upon the nature of the dispersed-growing strain of M1yxococcus xanthus, medium. The clarification of this influence is the nutritional requirements for vegetative likely to lead to an understanding of the nature of growth have been defined. Exponential growth the interaction between the environment and the will take place on a medium containing 17 amino regulatory mechanisms controlling morpho- acids and salts. The generation time is 8 to 10 hr. genesis. Various optima have been established. There are Although a number of investigators have ex- no requirements for exogenous vitamins, and, amined the stimulatory or inhibitory effect of with the exception of glycogen, a variety of various nutrilites (Nor6n, 1955; Oxford, 1947) organic materials do not significantly stimulate and the suitability of various complex media growth. (Oetker, 1953), there has been no clear definition of the nutritional requirements of any of the fruit- It is unrealistic to hope that one can critically ing myxobacteria. To a large extent, investiga- study the relationship between an organism and tions in this area have been restricted by the lack its environment without controlling the nu- of a good quantitative method for measuring tritional milieu. In general, physiological studies myxobacterial growth. Growth occurred either as of microorganisms should be carried out, when- a ring around the culture tube, in which case the ever possible, in chemically defined media. thickness of the ring was measured (Nor6n, 1955), Specifically, when investigating the effect of the or as colonies on solid media, in which case colony environment on microbial morphogenesis, this diameter was the parameter of growth (Oetker, must be a sine qua non. Moreover, an understand- 1953). The use of dispersed-growing variants of ing of the nutritional requirements of an organ- Myxococcus by Loebeck and Klein (1956) and by ism is apt to provide insight into a number of Holt (1960) paved the way for an analytical ap- facets of the nature of that organism. To a large proach to the problem. extent, the ecological role of a microbe will be By use of such dispersed-growing variants, this related to its nutritional capacity, and an exami- investigation has been concerned with defining nation of its metabolic apparatus may be broadly the nutritional requirements for the vegetative guided by a knowledge of its nutritional needs. growth of Myxococcus xanthus. However, the most compelling reason for our MATERIALS AND METHODS interest in the nutrition of a fruiting myxobac- Organisms. Unless otherwise indicated, the data terium is the oft-described relationship between to be described were obtained with a variant of the nutritional milieu of a microbe and its mor- M. xanthus referred to as VC. This organism was phogenetic development. The processes of sporu- isolated by John Holt while at Purdue University. Present address: Department of Microbiology, Under appropriate conditions, VC grows in a dis- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota persed state and, as such, is suited for turbidi- 250 VOL. 84, 1962 NUTRITION OF MYXOCOCCUS XANTHUS 251 metric measurement of growth. After about 100 RESULTS serial transfers in complex liquid medium, this Growth on culture lost the ability to form either microcysts complex media. 1M. xanthus will grow or well on a medium containing enzymatic digests of fruiting bodies, while retaining its character- Its istic, gliding motility. Holt (1960) also observed protein. growth on CT medium is illustrated this in Fig. 1. The generation time is about 3.5 hr. phenomenon. The defined medium, as Under these the finally developed, was also tested for its ability to conditions, stationary phase is followed by rapid autolysis of the cells. The support the growth of two other strains of M. maximal Klett xanthus, designated FB and MC. Strain FB, ob- reading usually obtained is about a cell concentration tained from the stock culture collection of the 500, representing of about 2 X 109 organisms/ml. We have not been able to bacteriology department of the University of increase California in Berkeley, will significantly either the rate of growth or undergo the complete the maximal yield of cells, and have therefore developmental cycle, forming microcysts and the fruiting bodies. Strain adopted growth pattern on CT as the stand- MC was derived from FB, ard of measurement. The and will form microcysts but not mature fruiting principal parameter used for evaluating growth was the generation bodies. Both of these strains will grow in a dis- time during exponential multiplication. persed state. A number of Growth conditions. Dispersed growth of vegeta- protein hydrolyzates were com- tive cells was pared to Casitone. Although there was no striking obtained by inoculating 40 ml of CT difference the various medium in a 250-ml Erlenmeyer flask and in- among enzymatic digests of protein, the acid hydrolyzates were significantly cubating at 30 C (+1 C) with shaking (about 75 inferior to 100 (Table 1). Since acid hydrolysis of protein rotations per minute). CT medium con- will and the tains Casitone (Difco), 2%; destroy tryptophan cysteine, effect of MgSO4, 0.1%; adding these amino acids (0.1 mg/ml) back to the K2HP04-KHY04, 0.01 M (pH 7.2); and distilled acid water. hydrolyzates (Casamino Acids and Acid- (Casitone is an enzymatic hydrolyzate of was tested. This not casein.) To avoid icase) did improve the suit- precipitation, the MgSO4 was ability of the acid hydrolyzates. The media added aseptically after the other components were containing the acid hydrolyzate contained a sig- autoclaved. Growth on CT agar is vegetative, nificant amount of sodium with no microcysts or chloride (0.38%). To fruiting bodies formed. For eliminate the possibility that microcyst or fruiting-body formation, a medium growth was in- prepared by autoclaving a suspension of Esch- erichia coli in distilled water (about 5 X 108 cells/ml) and agar (2%) for 1.5 hr was used. This medium is referred to as CA. Cultures were main- tained by daily transfer in CT liquid. With each transfer, the culture was streaked on a CT plate 0 and, in the case of MC and FB, also on a CA plate, z to maintain the ability to form microcysts and fruiting bodies. 0 For growth measurements, cultures were grown in 250-ml Erlenmeyer flasks with Klett tubes attached. Growth was measured with a Klett-Summerson colorimeter using the green (no. 57) filter. For nutritional experiments, the inocu- lum was prepared by centrifuging cells out of an 18- to 24-hr-old culture. The cells were resus- pended in distilled water, and the experimental flasks were inoculated to about 108 cells/ml. Chemicals. All amino acids and peptides were 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 obtained from the Cyclo Chemical Corp., Los T I M E IN HO UR S Angeles, Calif., as the L isomers unless otherwise FIG. 1. Growth of Myxococcus xanthus VC on stated. various media. 252 DWORKIN J. BACTERIOL. hibited by the presence of sodium chloride, an TABLE 2. Effect of addition of single amino acids to equivalent amount of sodium chloride was added a 0.5% Casamino Acids-salts medium to the CT medium. There was no inhibition of Amino acid (0.5 mg/ml) Amino acid (0.5 mg/ml) growth. As an additional control, a 10% solution of Casamino Acids was electrically desalted and Stimulatory Histidine then tested. There was no change in its ability to Tyrosine f3-Alanine support growth. Asparagine Canavanine Growth-factor requirements. Although Nor6n Leucine Carnosine (1955) indicated that growth of M. virescens was Isoleucine Putrescine of a of vita- Proline Cystathionine stimulated by the presence variety Phenylalanine Homocystine mins, Oxford (1947) found that a vitamin mixture Inhibitory Indifferent had no effect on the growth of the same organism. Glutamine Cystine We were unable to demonstrate any stimulatory Tryptophan Djenkolic acid effect of vitamins on the growth of M. xanthus. Methionine Serine In an attempt to detect a requirement for Alanine -y-Aminobutyric acid steroids or fat-soluble vitamins, 2 g of finely Glycine Cysteine *HCI powdered Casitone were placed in a Soxhlet ap- Valine Glutamic acid paratus and extracted for 48 hr with diethyl a-Aminobutyric acid Arginine ether. There was no alteration in the ability of the a-Aminoisobutyric Betaine Casitone to support growth. This would seem to acid j-Aminobutyric acid Cadaverine indicate the absence of any fat-soluble vitamin or DL-Threonine Sarcosine steroid requirements. The ability of vitamin-free Aspartic acid Cysteic acid Casitone (Difco) to support growth was tested. Lysine Glycocyamine This material is prepared from casein which is sufficiently free of vitamins to serve in assay media for nicotinic acid, thiamine, pantothenic 0.4,g/ml; nicotinamide, 0.4 Ag/ml; biotin, 0.01 acid, biotin, vitamin B12, and folic acid (Difco ,ug/ml; folic acid, 0.05 Ag/ml; B12, 0.005 19g/ml) Laboratories, 1953). Growth was equal to that had no stimulatory affect on growth.