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Electron microscope study of the interaction of epibiontic bacteria with Chromatium minus in natural habitats

  • Autonomous University of Barcelona

Research output: Contribution to journalScientific articlepeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Epibiontic cells on the surface of the photosynthetic purple sulfur bacterium Chromatium minus, collected several times during the year from 3 different Spanish lakes, were examined using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The cells attached to the C. minus cell wall by an electron-dense pad, but did not enter the cell. They were ovoidal (about 0.6 Μm wide) when free, and slightly curved rods (0.3×0.6 Μm) when undergoing division. Division only occurred when cells remained attached to Chromatium. A septum was formed, resulting in 2 or 3 curved rods surrounded by a common capsule. Detached daughter cells became ovoidal. The host ultrastructure changed as a result of epibiontic attachment, showing symptoms of cellular degradation. Simultaneously, plaques could be detected on cell lawns formed spontaneously upon cell sedimentation from field samples.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)57-64
Number of pages8
JournalMicrobial Ecology
Volume9
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 1983
Externally publishedYes

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