Properties and Origin of Filamentous Appendages on Spores of Bacillus cereus

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Abstract
Some physical, chemical and immunological properties of filamentous appendages and the exosporium on the spores of B. cereus were examined to elucidate the origin of filamentous appendages. The main component of both filamentous appendages and the exosporium was protein; their amino acid compositions were similar (high content of glycine, alanine, threonine, valine and acidic amino acids and low content of basic and S-containing amino acid]. Treatment with 1 N NaOH at 50.degree. C solubilized the isolated appendages completely and the isolated exosporia partially. In both preparations the solubilized proteins consisted of highly acidic monomeric subunits with MW of 2000-5000. Treatment of the spores with 2% 2-mercaptoethanol at 37.degree.C resulted in the isolation of long filamentous appendages without segmentation. When the spores were treated with 10% 2-mercaptoethanol, there was partial destruction of the exosporium and detachment of the filamentous appendages. There was a common antigenic component in the exosporium and the tips of the filamentous appendages. Five strains of B. cereus having a common appendage antigen also had a common exosporium antigen; 6 other strains had neither a common appendage antigen nor a common exosporium antigen. Filamentous appendages evidently arose from the exosporium.