Altered patterns of cellular growth, morphology, replication and division in conditional-lethal mutants of the thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius.
As a basis for studing the essential cellular processes of hyperthermophilic archaea, thermosensitive mutants of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius were isolated and characterized. Exponential-phase liquid cultures were shifted to the nonpermissive temperature and growth, viability, and distributions of cell mass and DNA content were measured as a function of time after the shift. The observed phenotypes demonstrate that chromosome replication, nucleoid organization, nucleoid partition and cell division, which normally are tightly co-ordinated during cellular growth, can be inhibited or uncoupled by mutation in this hyperthermophilic archaeon.
Bernander
Rolf
R
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Box 596, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden1.
Poplawski
Andrzej
A
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Box 596, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden1.
Grogan
Dennis W
DW
Department of Biological Sciences, PO Box 210006, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006, USA2.
D002453:Cell Cycle; D003470:Culture Media; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D016945:Sulfolobus acidocaldarius / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013696:Temperature
D003470:Culture Media; D019641:DNA, Archaeal