title: Real-time monitoring of Bacillus subtilis endospore components by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy during germination.
abstract: Chemical changes of particular Bacillus subtilis spore components were monitored by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR/FTIR) during spore germination on a ZnSe internal reflection element. Within minutes of the initiation of spore germination, significant changes in the amount of calcium dipicolinate (DPA-Ca) and proteins were noted in the wild-type strain. The changes in a germination mutant (strain 1G9, gerD) were similar to those in the wild-type strain, but the rates of change were slower. The changes in another germination mutant (strain 1G7, gerA) were very different from those in the first two strains: germination was slow and incomplete, and proteins and DPA-Ca remained unaltered throughout the course of the germination study. This technique thus offers a sensitive and non-destructive method for real-time monitoring of various cellular components during spore germination.
authors.forename: Hon-Yeung
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Jianxun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Su-Qin
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D010848:Picolinic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared / Q000379:methods; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010848:Picolinic Acids; D002118:Calcium; C004860:dipicolinic acid