Abstract
A new bacteriochlorophyll b containing phototrophic bacterium was isolated from extremely saline and alkaline soda lakes in Egypt. Enrichment and isolation were performed using a synthetic medium with high contents of sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate and sodium chloride. Photoautotrophic growth occurred with hydrogen sulfide as photosynthetic electron donor. During oxidation of sulfide to sulfate extracellular elemental sulfur globules appeared in the medium. Cells were also capable to grow under photoheterotrophic conditions with acetate, propionate, pyruvate, succinate, fumarate or malate as carbon sources and electron donors. Under these conditions sulfate was assimilated. Optimal growth under the applied experimental conditions occurred at a total salinity of 14–27%, a pH-range between 8.1 and 9.1 and a temperature between 47°C and 50°C. The cells were 0.5–0.6 μm wide and, depending on cultural conditions, 2.5–8.0 μm long; they were spiral shaped, multiplied by binary fission and were motile by means of bipolar flagella. Intercytoplasmic photosynthetic membranes were present as stacks. Bacteriochlorophyll b was the main photosynthetic pigment; small amounts of carotenoids were mainly present as glucosides of rhodopin and its methoxy derivative. The new organism is described as Ectothiorhodospira halochloris.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abd el Malek, Y., Rizk, S. G.: Bacterial sulfate reduction and the development of alkalinity. III. Experiments under natural conditions in the Wadi Natrun. J. appl. Bacteriol. 26, 20–26 (1963)
Baas Becking, L. G. M.: On organisms living in concentrated brine. Tijdschr. Nederland. Dierk. Ver., 3. Ser., 1, 6–9 (1928)
Cherni, N. E., Solvjeva, J. V., Fedorov, V. D., Kondratieva, E. N.: Ultrastructure of two species of purple sulfur bacteria. Mikrobiologiya 38, 479–484 (1969)
Drews, G., Giesbrecht, P.: Die Thylakoidstrukturen von Rhodopseudomonas spec. Arch. Mikrobiol. 52, 242–250 (1965)
Drews, G., Giesbrecht, P.: Rhodopseudomonas viridis nov. spec., ein neu isoliertes, obligat phototrophes Bakterium. Arch. Mikrobiol. 53, 255–262 (1966)
Eimhjellen, K. E., Steensland, H., Traetteberg, J.: A Thiococcus sp. nov. gen., its pigments and internal membrane system. Arch. Mikrobiol. 59, 82–92 (1967)
Eimhjellen, K. E.: Thiocapsa pfennigii sp. nov., a new species of phototrophic sulfur bacteria. Arch. Mikrobiol. 73, 193–194 (1970)
Gibbs, S. P., Sistrom, W. R., Worden, P. B.: The photosynthetic apparatus of Rhodospirillum molischianum. J. Cell. Biol. 26, 395–412 (1965)
Gloe, A., Pfennig, N., Brockmann, H., Jr., Trowitsch, W.: A new bacteriochlorophyll from brown colored Chlorobiaceae. Arch. Microbiol. 102, 103–109 (1975)
Hager, A., Stransky, H.: Das Carotinoidmuster und die Verbreitung des lichtinduzierten Xanthophyllcyclus in verschiedenen Algenklassen. I. Methoden zur Identifizierung der Pigmente. Arch. Mikrobiol. 71, 132–163 (1970)
Holt, S. C., Trüper, H. G., Takaćs, B. J.: Fine structure of Ectothiorhodospira mobilis strain 8113 thylakoids: chemical fixation and freeze-etching studies. Arch. Mikrobiol 62, 111–128 (1968)
Jannasch, H. W.: Die bakterielle Rotfärbung der Salzeen des Wadi Natrun (Ägypten). Arch. Hydrobiol. 53, 425–433 (1957)
Jensen, L. S.: The constituion of some bacterial carotenoids and their bearing on biosynthetic problems. Kgl. Norsk. Videns. Selks. Skr. no. 8 (1962)
Keppen, O. I., Gorlenko, V. M.: A new species of purple budding bacteria containing bacteriochlorophyll b. Mikrobiologiya 44, 258–264 (1975)
Marmur, J., Doty, P.: Determination of the base composition of deoxyribonucleic acid from its thermal denaturation temperature. J. Mol. Biol. 5, 109–118 (1962)
Meyer, S. A., Schleifer, K. A.: Rapid procedure for the approximate determination of the deoxyribonucleic acid base composition of Micrococci, Staphyllococci and other bacteria. Intern. J. Syst. Bact. 25, 383–385 (1975)
Pfennig, N.: Anreicherungskulturen für rote und grüne Schwefelbakterien. Zbl. Bakt., I. Abt. Orig., Suppl 1, 179–189, 503–504 (1965)
Pfennig, N., Trüper, H. G.: The phototrophic bacteria. In: Bergey's manual of determinative bacteriology, 8th ed. (R. E. Buchanan, N. E. Gibbons, eds.), pp. 24–64. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins 1974
Raymond, J. C., Sistrom, W. R.: The isolation and preliminary characterization of a halophilic photosynthetic bacterium. Arch. Mikrobiol. 59, 255–268 (1967)
Raymond, J. C., Sistrom, W. R.: Ectothiorhodospira halophila: A new species of the genus Ectothiorhodospira. Arch. Mikrobiol. 69, 121–126 (1969)
Remsen, C. C., Watson, S. W., Waterbury, J. B., Trüper, H. G.: Fine structure of Ectothiorhodospira mobilis Pelsh. J. Bacteriol. 95, 2374–2392 (1968)
Schmidt, K., Trüper, H. G.: Carotenoid composition in the genus Ectothiorhodospira Pelsh. Arch. Mikrobiol. 80, 38–42 (1971)
Trüper, H. G.: Ectothiorhodospira mobilis Pelsh, a photosynthetic sulfur bacterium depositing sulfur outside the cells. J. Bacteriol. 95, 1910–1920 (1968)
Ulitzur, S.: Rapid determination of DNA base composition by ultraviolet spectroscopy. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 272, 1–11 (1972)
van Niel, C. B.: On the morphology and physiology of the purple and green sulphur bacteria. Arch. Mikrobiol. 3, 1–112 (1931)
Whittenbury, R., McLee, A. G.: Rhodospeudomonas palustris and Rhodopseudomonas viridis-photosynthetic budding bacteria. Arch. Mikrobiol. 59, 324–334 (1967)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dedicated to Professor C. B. van Niel on the occasion of his 80th birthday
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Imhoff, J.F., Trüper, H.G. Ectothiorhodospira halochloris sp. nov., a new extremely halophilic phototrophic bacterium containing bacteriochlorophyll b. Arch. Microbiol. 114, 115–121 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00410772
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00410772