Figure 5
From: Efficient non-cytotoxic fluorescent staining of halophiles
Appearance of microspheres during conversion of Hbt. salinarum cells into spheroplasts by EDTA treatment. Hbt. salinarum cells were stained with MitoTracker Orange CMTMRos, entrapped in 2% agar and exposed to EDTA in a spheroplast-forming solution, as described in Materials and Methods. In addition to the spheroplasts formation, the generation of microspheres (marked by arrows) was observed. In contrast to rod-shaped cells and spheroplasts, microspheres are mobile in agar, but fluctuate only in proximity of spheroplasts originating from the same rod-shaped cells. This can be explained by fluctuation inside cavities formed in the agar after the contraction of the rod-shaped cells.
