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Chromosome and cell wall segregation in Streptococcus faecium ATCC 9790
M L Higgins1, D Glaser, D T Dicker
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140.
Journal of Bacteriology
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Chromosomal segregation in Streptococcus faecium shows slight nonrandomness, unlike some bacteria. Cell wall material, however, segregates predominantly nonrandomly, indicating distinct cellular processes.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Understanding chromosomal segregation is crucial for cell division.
- Streptococcus faecium, a gram-positive bacterium, offers a model for studying segregation mechanisms.
- Previous studies on bacterial segregation have yielded varied results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the nonrandomness of chromosomal segregation in Streptococcus faecium.
- To compare chromosomal segregation with cell wall material segregation.
- To determine if growth rate affects chromosomal segregation in this bacterium.
Main Methods:
- Autoradiographic grain clusters were used to track radiolabeled chromosome strands.
- Cell chains were analyzed to quantify the degree of chromosomal and cell wall material cosegregation.
- Methods developed by S. Cooper and M. Weinberger were adapted for analysis.
Main Results:
- Chromosomal segregation in Streptococcus faecium was found to be slightly nonrandom.
- Segregation patterns did not vary significantly with different growth rates.
- Labeled cell wall material demonstrated predominantly nonrandom segregation.
Conclusions:
- Chromosomal segregation in Streptococcus faecium exhibits a degree of nonrandomness.
- Cell wall segregation follows a different, predominantly nonrandom, pattern.
- These findings contribute to the understanding of segregation mechanisms in gram-positive bacteria.