Abstract: The growth and metabolism of Bacillus subtilis 63501 were investigated under low direct current(DC) electric filed. The effects of the electric filed on the growth, pH values, ATPase activity, total amount of protein and cells membrane penetration of Bacillus subtilis 63501 solutions were studied. The surface morphologies of the bacteria were also characterized by transimission electronic microscopy(TEM). The results indicated that the growth of such bacteria could be enhanced under an appropriate DC electric field. The ATPase activity of Bacillus subtilis 63501 could be multiplied by 1.9, 3.5 and 3.8 times during the control in prophase, anaphase and stable phase under 0.0455×10-3 A/cm2 current density, suggesting that suitable direct current density can promote the metabolism activity of Bacillus subtilis 63501, which is consistent with the results form TEM observations.

Key words: Direct current electric field, Metabolism, Bacillus subtilis, ATPase Activity