Ferromagnetic resonance of intact cells and isolated crystals from cultured and uncultured magnetite-producing magnetotactic bacteria.
Most magnetotactic bacteria (MB) produce stable, single-domain magnetite nanocrystals with species-specific size, shape and chain arrangement. In addition, most crystals are elongated along the [111] direction, which is the easy axis of magnetization in magnetite, chemically pure and structurally perfect. These special characteristics allow magnetite crystal chains from MB to be recognized in environmental samples including old sedimentary rocks. Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) has been proposed as a powerful and practical tool for screening large numbers of samples possibly containing magnetofossils. Indeed, several studies were recently published on FMR of cultured MB, mainly Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense. In this work, we examined both uncultured magnetotactic cocci and the cultured MB M. gryphiswaldense using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and FMR from 10 K to room temperature (RT). The TEM data supported the FMR spectral characteristics of our samples. The FMR spectra of both bacteria showed the intrinsic characteristics of magnetite produced by MB, such as extended absorption at the low field region of the spectra and a Verwey transition around 100 K. As previously observed, the spectra of M. gryphiswaldense isolated crystals were more symmetrical than the spectra obtained from whole cells, reflecting the loss of chain arrangement due to the small size and symmetrical shape of the crystals. However, the FMR spectra of magnetic crystals isolated from magnetotactic cocci were very similar to the FMR spectra of whole cells, because the chain arrangement was maintained due to the large size and prismatic shape of the crystals. Our data support the use of FMR spectra to detect magnetotactic bacteria and magnetofossils in samples of present and past environments. Furthermore, the spectra suggest the use of the temperature transition of spectral peak-to-peak intensity to obtain the Verwey temperature for these systems.
Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CCS, Bloco F, Cidade Universitária, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Coordenação de Física Aplicada, Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, Rua Dr Xavier Sigaud 150, 22290-180, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Leida G
LG
Abraçado
Eliane
E
Wajnberg
Darci M S
DM
Esquivel
Carolina N
CN
Keim
Karen T
KT
Silva
Emílio T S
ET
Moreira
Ulysses
U
Lins
Marcos
M
Farina
D003460:Crystallization; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide / Q000032:analysis*; D008280:Magnetics / Q000379:methods*; D055944:Magnetosomes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D042201:Magnetospirillum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide