Survey of motile microaerophilic bacterial morphotypes in the oxygen gradient above a marine sulfidic sediment.
Enrichment cultures for free-swimming microaerophilic bacteria were prepared from marine sulfidic sediment samples (Nivå Bay, Denmark). We observed nine different morphotypes; three of these morphotypes represented already-described species, i.e., Thiovulum majus, "Candidatus Ovobacter propellens," and an as-yet-unnamed large vibrioid bacterium. In addition, we observed several morphotypes of spirilla and one vibrioid morphotype. A common feature of all investigated bacteria was that they aggregated chemotactically at the oxic-anoxic interface, whereas preferred oxygen concentration were in the range of 1 to 10 muM. The motile behavior and flagellar dynamics are analyzed in detail with an emphasis on spirilla.
Thar
Roland
R
Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, 3000 Helsingør, Denmark. rthar@bi.ku.dk
Fenchel
Tom
T
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002633:Chemotaxis; D017753:Ecosystem; D005407:Flagella / Q000502:physiology; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D009068:Movement; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D043167:Spirillaceae / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology; D013440:Sulfides / Q000378:metabolism*; D014733:Vibrio / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology
D013440:Sulfides; D010100:Oxygen