Open AccessPhosphorus‐rich granules in uncultured magnetotactic bacteria
Author(s) -
Lins Ulysses,
Farina Marcos
Publication year - 1999
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.1574-6968.1999.tb13444.x
Subject(s) - magnetotactic bacteria , magnetite , magnetosome , transmission electron microscopy , amorphous solid , chemistry , phosphorus , polyphosphate , bacteria , materials science , phosphate , biology , biochemistry , crystallography , metallurgy , nanotechnology , genetics , organic chemistry
Amorphous intracellular minerals present in uncultured magnetotactic bacteria were studied with transmission electron microscopy, electron spectroscopic imaging and X‐ray microanalysis. Amorphous minerals were present as intracellular granules that contained phosphorus, calcium and oxygen, and could also incorporate iron, aluminum and zinc. Granules showed evaporation typical of polyphosphate during exposure to high intensity electron beam. Morphologically different bacteria presented granules of variable size and number. This indicates that precipitation of amorphous minerals as phosphate granules is a characteristic feature of many uncultured magnetotactic bacteria. The structure and composition of granules and magnetosomes (known to contain the iron oxide magnetite) differ.