Study of Developmental Stages of Methylosinus trichosporium with the Aid of Fluorescent-Antibody Staining Techniques.

When stained by using an indirect fluorescent-antibody technique, Methylosinus trichosporium displayed an uneven fluorescence. Exospores and the polar tips of some vegetative cells displayed a more intense fluorescence than the other cells. Cross-absorption of the specific anti-M. trichosporium immunoglobulin G with exospores resulted in no fluorescence of exospores or exospore regions of sporulating vegetative cells. This demonstrated that antigens were present on exospores and exospore regions of vegetative cells that are different from vegetative cell antigens. Taking advantage of this phenomenon, three fluorescentantibody staining techniques were developed which were used to study the life cycle of M. trichosporium.