Formation of vesiculated large bodies of Staphylococcus aureus L-form in a liquid medium

A method is described in which cells of Staphylococcus aureus can be converted to vesiculated large bodies of L-form. When coccal cells were incubated in a liquid growth medium containing D-cycloserine, N-acetylmuramidase and subtilisin, a large number of vesiculated large bodies were formed. Electron microscopy revealed that development of internal vesicles arose after 6 hr of incubation.. When growth inhibitory concentrations of rifampicin, novobiocin, or chloramphenicol were added to the culture at 6 hr of incubation, small-sized nonvesiculated bodies were produced instead of vesiculated forms. The viability of cultures was reduced by rifampicin and novobiocin but not by chloramphenicol.