Abstract
NUMEROUS bacterial variants are known which will grow in environments unfavourable to the parent strain, and to explain their occurrence two conflicting hypotheses have been advanced. The first assumes that the particular environment produces the observed change in some of the bacteria exposed to it, whereas the second assumes that the variants arise spontaneously during growth under normal conditions, the part played by the adverse environment being purely selective. These are known respectively as the ‘adaptation’ and the spontaneous mutation hypothesis.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Luria, S. E., and Delbrück, M., Genetics, 28, 491 (1943).
Hiushelwood, C. N., “The Chemical Kinetics of the Bacterial Cell’ (Oxford University Press, London, 1946).
Demerec, M., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., U.S., 32, 36 (1946).
Beale, G. H., J. Gen. Microbiol, 2, 131 (1948).
Newcombe, H. B., Genetics, 33, 447 (1948).
Demerec, M., and Fano, U., Genetics, 30, 119 (1945).
Witkin, E. M., Genetics, 32, 221 (1947).
Ryan, F. J., Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology, 11, 215 (1946); Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., U.S., 34, 426 (1948).
Scott, G. W. (in preparation).
Newcombe, H. B., and Hawirko, R. (in preparation).
Demerec, M., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., U.S., 81, 16 (1945); Ann. Missouri Botan. Garden, 32, 131 (1945).
Oakberg, E. F., and Luria, S. E., Genetics, 32, 249 (1947).
Demerec, M., J. Bact., 56, 63 (1948).
Ryan, F. J., et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., U.S., 32, 261 (1946).
Alexander, H. E., and Leidy, J. Exp. Med., 85, 607 (1947).
Curcho, M. de la G., J. Bact., 56, 374 (1948).
Lewis, I. M., J. Bact., 28, 619 (1934).
Kristensen, M., Acta Path. Microbiol., Scand., 17, 193 (1940).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
NEWCOMBE, H. Origin of Bacterial Variants. Nature 164, 150–151 (1949). https://doi.org/10.1038/164150a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/164150a0
This article is cited by
-
Precision public health to inhibit the contagion of disease and move toward a future in which microbes spread health
BMC Infectious Diseases (2019)
-
Natural selection underlies apparent stress-induced mutagenesis in a bacteriophage infection model
Nature Microbiology (2016)
-
Phenotypic heterogeneity in a bacteriophage population only appears as stress-induced mutagenesis
Current Genetics (2016)
-
Mutation of microalgae from antifouling sensitivity to antifouling resistance allows phytoplankton dispersal through ships’ biofouling
Biological Invasions (2013)
-
Discussion on research methods of bacterial resistant mutation mechanisms under selective culture—uncertainty analysis of data from the Luria-Delbrück fluctuation experiment
Science China Life Sciences (2012)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.