Characterization of Bacillus cereus dissociants

The autoregulation of the phenotypic (populational) variability of the Bacillus cereus strain 504 was studied, The isolated colonial morphotypes of this bacterium were found to differ in their growth characteristics and the synthesis of extracellular proteases. The phenotypic variabilities of vegetative proliferating cells and those germinated from endospores and cystlike refractory cells were different. Bacterial variants also differed in the production of the d(1) and d(2) factors (the autoinducers of anabiosis and autolysis, respectively) and sensitivity to them. The possible role of these factors in the dissociation of microorganisms is discussed.