Invagination of cytoplasmic membrane as the initial event of cross wall formation in actinomycetes

Substructural study of sporogenesis in Streptomyces griseus

A Streptomyces griseus strain deficient in the formation of aerial mycelium and arthrospore development (Amy-) was studied by electron microscopy and compared with the sporulating parental strain (Amy+). The investigations were performed with colonies grown on solid medium. The substructural characteristics of the essential events of sporogenesis could clearly been demonstrated in the aerial mycelium of the Amy+ colonies. The mycelium of the surface region of the Amy- colonies showed altered features. The most pronounced alteration was the absence of the surface sheath, normally present on the aerial hyphae of the parental strain. The cross wall type II, characteristic of sporogeneous hyphae, was not discernible in the Amy- hyphae. Some substructural features resembling the essential events of normal sporogenesis were evident in the Amy- strain, albeit diminished and interfered with by abnormalities. The resulting propagative cells were of different size and feature.