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In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, fungi and protozoa. Bacterial spores are not part of a sexual cycle, but are resistant structures used for survival under unfavourable conditions. Myxozoan spores release amoeboid infectious germs ("amoebulae") into their hosts for parasitic infection, but also reproduce within the hosts through the pairing of two nuclei within the plasmodium, which develops from the amoebula. In plants, spores are usually haploid and unicellular and are produced by meiosis in the sporangium of a diploid sporophyte. Under favourable conditions the spore can develop into a new organism using mitotic division, producing a multicellular gametophyte, which eventually goes on to produce gametes. Two gametes fuse to form a zygote, which develops into a new

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BIO-321: Morphology II

Ce cours permet aux étudiants ayant suivi Morphologie I de réviser et d'approfondir leurs connaissances par l'étude de l'anatomie radiologique et du développement. L'origine de malformations fréquentes est décrite. Divers sujets requis pour l'examen d'entrée à la Passerelle sont aussi traités.

ChE-311: Biochemical engineering

This course introduces the basic principles of bioprocess engineering and highlights the similarities and differences with chemical engineering. Without going into the fundamentals, it proposes an overview of the techniques for fermentation as well as product purification (DownStream Processing).

ENV-202: Microbiology for engineers

Le cours "Microbiologie pour l'ingénieur" couvre les processus microbiens principaux qui ont lieu dans l'environnement et dans des systèmes de traitement. Il présente les cycles des éléments qui sont catalysés par des microorganismes et qui ont un impact important sur la planète Terre.

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe septation initiation network (SIN) is required for spore formation in meiosis

Elena Cano, Andrea Krapp, Viesturs Simanis

When nutrients are abundant, S. pombe cells grow as rods, dividing by fission after formation of a medially placed cell wall or division septum. Septum formation is triggered by a group of proteins, called the septation initiation network or SIN, that trigger contraction of the acto-myosin contractile ring at the end of mitosis. Ectopic activation of the SIN can uncouple septum formation from other cell-cycle events, whereas loss of SIN signalling gives rise to multinucleated cells due to the failure of cytokinesis. When starved, S. pombe cells of opposite mating types fuse to form a diploid zygote that undergoes meiosis and produces four spores. No septa or contractile rings are formed during meiosis. In this study, we have investigated the role of the SIN in meiosis. Our data show that, whereas the meiotic divisions appear normal, SIN mutants cannot form spores. Forespore membrane formation is initiated, but the nuclei are not encapsulated properly. The SIN proteins localise to the spindle pole body in meiosis. The protein kinases Sid1p and Cdc7p do not associate with the spindle pole body until meiosis II, when forespore membrane deposition begins. These data indicate a role for the SIN in regulating spore formation during meiosis.

2006

Variability in DPA and calcium content in the spores of Clostridium species

Imrich Barak, Barbora Bártová, Rizlan Bernier-Latmani, Zuzana Chromiková, Jan Jamroskovic, Cornelia List

Spores of a number of clostridia' species, and their resistance to thermal treatment is a major concern for the food industry. Spore resistance to wet heat is related to the level of spore hydration, which is inversely correlated with the content of calcium and dipicolinic acid (DPA) in the spore core. It is widely believed that the accumulation of DPA and calcium in the spore core is a fundamental component of the sporulation process for all endospore forming species. We have noticed heterogeneity in the heat resistance capacity and overall DPA/calcium content among the spores of several species belonging to Clostridium sensu stricto group: two C. acetobutylicum strains (DSM 792 and 1731), two C. beijerinckil strains (DSM 791 and NCIMB 8052), and a C. collagenoyorans strain (DSM 3089). A C. beljerinckii strain (DSM 791) and a C. acetobutylicum strain (DSM 792) display low Ca and DPA levels. In addition, these two species, with the lowest average Ca/DPA content amongst the strains considered, also exhibit minimal heat resistance. There appears to be no correlation between the Ca/DPA content and the phylogenetic distribution of the C. acetobutylicum and C. beijerinckii species based either on the 16S rRNA or the spoVA gene. This finding suggests that a subset of Clostridium sensu stricto species produce spores with low resistance to wet heat. Additionally, analysis of individual spores using STEM-EDS and STXM revealed that DPA and calcium levels can also vary amongst individual spores in a single spore population.

Frontiers Research Foundation2016

Combined scanning transmission X-ray and electron microscopy for the characterization of bacterial endospores

Imrich Barak, Rizlan Bernier-Latmani, Jan Jamroskovic, Paul Pao-Yun Shao, Elena Suvorova Buffat

Endospores (also referred to as bacterial spores) are bacterial structures formed by several bacterial species of the phylum Firmicutes. Spores form as a response to environmental stress. These structures exhibit remarkable resistance to harsh environmental conditions such as exposure to heat, desiccation, and chemical oxidants. The spores include several layers of protein and peptidoglycan that surround a core harboring DNA as well as high concentrations of calcium and dipicolinic acid (DPA). A combination of scanning transmission X-ray microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy was used for the direct quantitative characterization of bacterial spores. The concentration and localization of DPA, Ca2+, and other elements were determined and compared for the core and cortex of spores from two distinct genera: Bacillus subtilis and Desulfotomaculum reducens. This micro-spectroscopic approach is uniquely suited for the direct study of individual bacterial spores, while classical molecular and biochemical methods access only bulk characteristics.

Wiley-Blackwell2014

Fungus

A fungus (: fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mush

Plant

Plants are eukaryotes, predominantly photosynthetic, that form the kingdom Plantae. Many are multicellular. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and inc

Flowering plant

Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (ˌændʒiəˈspərmi:), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem)