Kinetics of volume variation of Corynebacterium glutamicum following saline osmotic upshifts

The variation over time of the volume of Corynebacterium glutamicum following osmotic upshocks produced by the addition of increasing NaCl quantities was measured by a light-scattering method. During the first seconds the cell volume rapidly decreased. The extent of volume reduction varied between 30 % at 1.5 osmol/kg and 65 % at 3.3 osmo/kg. In a second phase the cell volume increased again over a time period lasting 10 minutes or more depending on the magnitude of the saline upshock.