Flagellar bundles of the honeybee pathogen, Bacillus larvae; their occurrence, size, and development in vivo and in vitro

Abstract

Flagellar bundles of the honeybee pathogen, Bacillus larvae, occurred in vivo and in vitro. Bundles as large as 47.5 × 0.6 μ developed in the gut contents of young honeybee larvae from 48 to 72 h after ingestion of spores. In vitro, they were produced in two types of media, and were seen as early as 24 h after the initiation of vegetative growth. Flagellar bundle formation was not related to sporulation.In stained sections of honeybee larvae infected with B. larvae, vegetative cells had a peritrichous coat of flagella which was apparently shed at a specific stage in the growth of the pathogen. It is probable that the release of a single flagellum or a coat of flagella is biochemically initiated both in vivo and in vitro.