Location of elements in ashed spores of Bacillus megaterium

Abstract

The structure of the skeleton of spores of Bacillus megaterium was examined after ashing in a plasma asher and the elemental composition of the ashed whole spores was determined with an analytical electron microscope. All spores were ashed in situ although they shrank by about 15%. Even P and S, in addition to metals, were recovered well from ashed samples. Ash was rich in the core and the coat, and poor in the cortex. Ca, P, S, and Mg were detected in the core and coat of the spore of B. megaterium QM B1551. Ca in the core was markedly decreased by germination or autoclaving. In the spore of B. megaterium ATCC 19213, almost all of the ash was detected in the core and its elemental composition was similar to that of the core of the strain QM B1551 spore. These reuslts suggest strongly that the core is the site of Ca associated with dipicolinic acid.