A physico-chemical study of some induced changes in the morphology of Bacterium lactis aerogenes . A theory of the balance and adaptive variation of certain enzyme processes in bacteria

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Abstract
A strain of Bact. lactis aerogenes, which gave normal growth in standard glucose phosphate (NH4)2SO4, exhibited many long forms in a similar medium with decreased glucose. The elongation approached a maximum with time, then receded. Evaluation of size distribution at any given time revealed conformity to the equation ni = nel/1, where ni is total no. of cells exceeding length I, n is total no. and l is mean length. A size coefficient [sigma] is defined in arbitrary units as a convenient quant. measure of the abnormality of any given population. [sigma] and I decrease with increased osmotic pressure by addition of salts or erythritol. The authors propose the existence of two separate factors, L (diffusible) and D (probably non-diffusible) responsible for elongation and division resp. The observed morph. alterations are related to disturbances in formation of L and D in the light of a model based on crystal growth.