Actinomycetes Morphology and Lifecycle
General
Streptomyces Lifecycle
Streptomyces superficially resemble fungi, producing a mould-like aerial mycelium which develops spore chains. They are slow growing organisms and their complex lifecycle involves significant morphological transitions which begins which a germination spore.[1]
Vegetative Mycelial Growth
In favourable conditions, a Streptomyces spore will germinate to produce or or two germ-tubes which grow by branching and tip-extension to form a vegetative mycelium. [2] Spores initially swell prior to germ-tube emergence.
Aerial Hyphae Growth
Spore Differentiation
References
[1] Hasani, A., Kariminik, A. and Isaazadeh, K. (2014) ‘Streptomycetes : Characteristics and Their Antimicrobial Activities’, International Journal of Advanced Biological and Biomedical Research.
[2] Flärdh, K. and Buttner, M. J. (2009) ‘Streptomyces morphogenetics: dissecting differentiation in a filamentous bacterium’, Nature Reviews Microbiology, 7(1), pp. 36–49. doi: 10.1038/nrmicro1968.
