330 DAN H. JONES 



CONJUNCTION OF AZOTOBACTER CELLS? 



With regard to the claim put forward by Lohnis and Smith 

 that "Id addition to the formation of symplasm another mode 

 of interaction between the plasmatic substances in bacterial 

 cells occurs, consisting of the direct union of two or more cells, 

 which conjunction seems to be of no less general occurrence 

 than the process first mentioned," we cannot altogether agree. 



In support of their contention Lohnis and Smith present a 

 number of photomicrographs of stained azotobacter preparations. 

 Tn studying these photomicrographs and comparing them with 

 our own preparations we come to the conclusion that what is 

 here referred to as conjunction of two individual cells is rather 

 the incomplete fission of individual cells in process of division. 

 This process has been observed by us repeatedly, not only in 

 stained preparations, but also in living cultures on agar hanging 

 block, and in hanging drop cultures in moist chambers inoculated 

 from cultures varying in age from one day to several months. 

 In none of these did we observe two cells unite in conjunction, 

 but many times have we observed fission take place in which 

 the cells presented an appearance similar to that shown as 

 "conjunction" in the pictures of Lohnis and Smith. 



INVOLUTION FORMS 



Lohnis and Smith object to the use of the generally accepted 

 term "involution forms" as applied to those aberrant or 

 abnormal, usually enlarged swollen forms of bacteria that are 

 liable to occur in cultures of most species of bacteria when grown 

 under varying conditions. They contend that "The development 

 of the bacteria is characterized not by the irregular occurrence 

 of more or less abnormal forms but by the regular occurrence of 

 many different forms and stages of growth connected with each 

 other by constant relations." 



The term "involution forms," the writer understands, is 

 applied to bacterial cells that have assumed swollen, bladder- 

 like, elongated or irregular forms as a result of variations in 



