ADHESION OF CLOSTRIDIUM-CELLULOLYTICUM SPORES TO FILTER-PAPER

The adhesion of Clostridium cellulolyticum spores and cells to Whatman No. 1 filter paper was studied. A suspension of vegetative cells in e xponential phase from a culture on cellobiose adhered at 60% whereas s pores at the same initial concentration were bound to the Whatman filt er paper at 90%. Adhesion of vegetative cellulolytic cells occurs on s pecific cellulosic sites and reveals a sigmoid type II curve. Non-cell ulolytic vegetative cells from Clostridium butyricum do not adhere to the cellulose. Spore adhesion is a non-specific process since non-cell ulolytic spores from Clostridium butyricum adhered almost in the same range to filter paper than cellulolytic spores.