Perras, Alexandra K. and Wanner, Gerhard and Klingl, Andreas and Mora, Maximilian and Auerbach, Anna K. and Heinz, Veronika and Probst, Alexander J. and Huber, Harald and Rachel, Reinhard and Meck, Sandra and Moissl-Eichinger, Christine (2014) Grappling archaea: ultrastructural analyses of an uncultivated, cold-loving archaeon, and its biofilm. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, 5: 397. ISSN 1664-302X,
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Similarly to Bacteria, Archaea are microorganisms that interact with their surrounding environment in a versatile manner. To date, interactions based on cellular structure and surface appendages have mainly been documented using model systems of cultivable archaea under laboratory conditions. Here, we report on the microbial interactions and ultrastructural features of the uncultivated SM1 Euryarchaeon, which is highly dominant in its biotope. Therefore, biofilm samples taken from the Sippenauer Moor, Germany, were investigated via transmission electron microscopy (TEM; negative staining, thin-sectioning) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to elucidate the fine structures of the microbial cells and the biofilm itself. The biofilm consisted of small archaeal cocci (0.6 mu m diameter), arranged in a regular pattern (1.0-2.0 mu m distance from cell to cell), whereas each archaeon was connected to 6 other archaea on average. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were limited to the close vicinity of the archaeal cells, and specific cell surface appendages (hami, Moissl et al., 2005) protruded beyond the EPS matrix enabling microbial interaction by cell-cell contacts among the archaea and between archaea and bacteria. All analyzed hami revealed their previously described architecture of nano-grappling hooks and barb-wire basal structures. Considering the archaeal cell walls, the SM1 Euryarchaea exhibited a double-membrane, which has rarely been reported for members of this phylogenetic domain. Based on these findings, the current generalized picture on archaeal cell walls needs to be revisited, as archaeal cell structures are more complex and sophisticated than previously assumed, particularly when looking into the uncultivated majority.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | PEARLS-LIKE MORPHOLOGY; IGNICOCCUS-HOSPITALIS; NANOARCHAEUM-EQUITANS; TWITCHING MOTILITY; MICROBIAL COMMUNITY; PYROCOCCUS-FURIOSUS; NATURAL COMMUNITIES; METHANE OXIDATION; ESCHERICHIA-COLI; SM1 EURYARCHAEON; archaea; biofilm; ultrastructure; hami; EPS; SEM; TEM; microbial interaction |
| Subjects: | 500 Science > 570 Life sciences |
| Divisions: | Biology, Preclinical Medicine > Institut für Biochemie, Genetik und Mikrobiologie |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 03 Sep 2019 13:19 |
| Last Modified: | 03 Sep 2019 13:19 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/9763 |
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