Characteristics of the vegetative growth of Bacillus popilliae

Growth characteristics of the insect pathogen, Bacillus popilliae Dutky, were studied by propagation in shaken flasks and in 2-liter fermentors. Maximal populations between 5 x 10(8) and 2 x 10(9) viable cells per milliliter of culture medium routinely were obtained in incubation periods of 18 to 24 hr at 30 C in a medium composed of 1.5% yeast extract, 0.6% K(2)HPO(4), and 0.2% glucose or trehalose. The carbohydrate required for growth in liquid media was fermented with the formation of 2 meq of acid per mmole of carbohydrate utilized; acid products ordinarily were not subsequently metabolized. B. popilliae is an aerobe, and the amount of growth obtained varied with aeration to an optimum at oxygen absorption rates of about 0.5. Maximal populations persist in a culture for periods of only 1 to 4 hr; cessation of growth was followed immediately by rapid death of cultures, so that less than 1% of the cells remained viable after 48 hr, and viability often was lost entirely by the end of 72 hr of incubation. No cytological evidence for spore formation was observed under any growth condition. Death was not associated with lysis of the cells, although extensive granulation ultimately occurred. Continuous neutralizaiton, augmented buffering, various techniques of dialysis, or slow feeding of the carbohydrate did not markedly alleviate the characteristic death of the cultures.