MYXOCOCCUS-XANTHUS KILLED CELLS AS INDUCERS OF STRUVITE CRYSTALLIZATION - ITS POSSIBLE ROLE IN THE BIOMINERALIZATION PROCESSES

We studied the possibility of struvite formation using killed cells of Myxococcus xanthus. Cells were killed by heat, UV light and sonicatio n. In all cases, we show that struvite crystallization occurs and we p ropose that the dead cells or cell debris can act by themselves as het erogeneous crystallization nuclei. We also show that the slime, produc ed by Myxococcus in a large quantities, is not involved in this proces s.