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Observations on cell-wall deficient forms of Pseudomonas maltophilia

P E Pease1, J W Lawson, R L Bartlett

  • 1Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Great Britain.

Microbios
|January 1, 1989
PubMed

Insights

Researchers induced Pseudomonas maltophilia cell-wall deficient forms using carbenicillin and polyvinyl pyrrolidone. Scanning electron microscopy effectively visualized these bacterial forms and their rapid reversion, potentially due to plasmids.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Pseudomonas maltophilia is a Gram-negative bacterium.
  • Cell-wall deficient forms (L-forms) can arise under specific conditions.
  • Understanding L-form induction and reversion is crucial for studying bacterial adaptability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To induce and characterize cell-wall deficient forms of Pseudomonas maltophilia.
  • To investigate the effectiveness of scanning electron microscopy in visualizing these forms.
  • To explore potential mechanisms behind the rapid reversion of L-forms.

Main Methods:

  • Induction of cell-wall deficient forms using a medium with carbenicillin and polyvinyl pyrrolidone.
  • Visualization of bacterial morphology using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Main Results:

  • Successfully induced cell-wall deficient forms of Pseudomonas maltophilia.
  • Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated various phases of L-form development and reversion.
  • Observed rapid reversion rates of the induced forms.

Conclusions:

  • Carbenicillin and polyvinyl pyrrolidone are effective in inducing Pseudomonas maltophilia L-forms.
  • Scanning electron microscopy is a valuable tool for studying bacterial L-forms.
  • Plasmids are suggested as a potential factor contributing to the rapid reversion of these forms.

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