title: Protease-induced multicell formation in Staphylococcus haemolyticus.
abstract: Multicellular cells were efficiently induced in Staphylococcus haemolyticus by the addition of protease to exponentially growing cultures at 30 C. Electron microscopy revealed the formation of tetrad-shaped multicells that were septated but not separated from each other. Incubation of the multicells with extract from the cells grown without protease resulted in a fourfold increase in the number of colony-forming units as compared with the untreated control. An electrophoretic analysis showed that protease caused a loss of cell wall-lytic activity of the cell, which possibly led to the formation of multicells through cessation of cross wall separation.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Hokuriku University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yabu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ochiai
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003470:Culture Media; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D013381:Subtilisins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D013381:Subtilisins