Open AccessEndosymbiotic methanogenic bacteria of the sapropelic amoeba Mastigella
Author(s) -
Bruggen Johan J.A.,
Stumm Claudius K.,
Zwart Kor B.,
Vogels Godfried D.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1985.tb01147.x
Subject(s) - sapropel , methanobacterium , bacteria , methanogenesis , biology , amoeba (genus) , microbiology and biotechnology , ecology , microbial population biology , paleontology , mediterranean climate
Large numbers of Gram‐positive methanogenic bacteria, which morphologicallt resembled Methanobacterium formicicum , were found in the flagellated amoeba Mastigella from fresh water sapropel. A non‐methanogenic Gram‐positive bacterium with a characteristic axial cleft was found to live in close association with the amoebal nucleus. The similarity between the symbiotic system of Mastigella and that of the giant amoeba Pelomyxa is discussed, as well as the contribution of sapropelic amoebae to the methanogenesis of the sapropel ecosystem.