THE APPLICATION OF LASER DIFFRACTOMETRY TO STUDY THE WATER-CONTENT OFSPORES OF BACILLUS-SPHAERICUS WITH DIFFERENT HEAT RESISTANCES

The distribution of water in the protoplast and integument of three po pulations of Bacillus sphaericus spores was determined by laser diffra ctometry together with the sizes of their integuments and protoplasts. The spores were produced at 15, 20 and 30-degrees-C. Spores grown at 15-degrees-C had protoplast and integument water contents similar to t hose produced at 20-degrees-C, while those grown at 30-degrees-C had s ignificantly lower water contents than the other two populations. The inner (or protoplast) radii of the spores produced at 15, 20 and 30-de grees-C were 0.41 +/- 0.02 mum, 0.42 +/- 0.01 mum and 0.38 +/- 0.02 mu m whilst the outer (or whole spore) radii were 0.56 +/- 0.01 mum, 0.58 +/- 0.01 mum and 0.52 +/- 0.02 mum respectively. The ratios of integu ment to protoplast radius were 0.40 +/- 0.02, 0.43 +/- 0.07 and 0.41 /- 0.03 respectively.