192 



Scientific Proceedings (127) 



93 (2053) 



Observations on the relation of bacterial giant coccoids to 

 zygospore formation. 



By RALPH R. MELLON. 



[From the Highland Hospital, Rochester, N. Y.] 



The giant coccoids of the strain in the above paper have pre- 

 viously been shown to have been the precursors of a diplococcus 

 mutant 1 . Their viability is much greater also than that of the 

 bacillary form. Such important functional differences lead to 

 an inquiry regarding the nature of these structures. B. coli and 

 its congeners, as well as diphtheroids, have been studied. Em- 

 ploying an environment that led the strains to reproduce in 

 their fungoid or branching phase, a mechanism was demon- 

 strated that was practically identical morphologically with 

 zygospore formation as it occurs among the yeasts. 



A very striking concomitant change was a spiral reorganiza- 

 tion of the chromatic substance which took place in the filament- 

 ous forms which formed the zygospore. This was often so 

 striking as to resemble the strands of a rope, such structures 

 probably being identical with the so-called giant whips described 

 first by Novy many years ago. Similar formations among the 

 protozoa are spoken of as the "wurstformige Schlingen" which 

 represents the most constant accompaniment of the sexual 

 process among the protozoa. 



i Jour. Mrd. lies., 1920, xlii. 



