Motility of Colwellia psychrerythraea strain 34H at subzero temperatures.
We examined the Arctic bacterium Colwellia psychrerythraea strain 34H for motility at temperatures from -1 to -15 degrees C by using transmitted-light microscopy in a temperature-controlled laboratory. The results, showing motility to -10 degrees C, indicate much lower temperatures to be permissive of motility than previously reported (5 degrees C), with implications for microbial activity in frozen environments.
Junge
Karen
K
School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Box 357940, Seattle, WA 982195-7940, USA. kjunge@ocean.washington.edu
Eicken
Hajo
H
Deming
Jody W
JW
D001110:Arctic Regions; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005615:Freezing; D020563:Gammaproteobacteria / Q000502:physiology*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D009068:Movement