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Normal virulent B. anthracis all possess the genetical potentiality of producing capsules, but the capsule is only produced in vivo or under special cultural conditions suitable for capsule formation, especially in the presence of CO2.
During multiplication the potentially capsulated cells regularly produce a small number of a stable non-capsulated avirulent variant. All laboratory stock cultures of B. anthracis examined were found to contain from 0·14 to 32·4% of this avirulent variant. The variant has also been demonstrated in hair and wool from anthrax endemic areas, which suggests that the dissociation may also occur in nature.
Both the normal potentially capsulated cell and the variant incapable of producing capsules grow on plain agar in air as rough colonies with apparently non-capsulated cells. But when they are grown on serum agar in the presence of CO2, the normal potentially capsulated cell gives rise to a smooth mucoid colony with fully capsulated cells, while the variant still produces a rough colony with non-capsulated cells. If we regard the smooth mucoid colony produced by normal virulent B. anthracis on serum agar in CO2 as the normal colony form of B. anthracis, then the dissociation of the avirulent non-capsulated variant with the rough colony form falls in line with the usual S-R dissociation of other bacteria.
The more widely known variation of B. anthracis, which had long been held as an exception to the usual S-R variation of other bacteria, refers to colonies grown on plain agar in air. This variation is different from the one just described and is not so clear-cut and significant. Its underlying cause is not quite clear except that the chain length of the growth appears to play some part.
A summarized picture showing the whole range of variation in colony appearance and cell structure of B. anthracis is presented.
