Post on 21-Dec-2015
Titanospirillum veloxTitanospirillum velox
Barbara J. S. Edmunds
Not Not Titanospirillum veloxTitanospirillum velox!!
Titanospirillum veloxTitanospirillum velox
5 m
Found in the Mediterranean...Found in the Mediterranean...
in Tarragona, Spain...in Tarragona, Spain...
in the Ebro River Delta...in the Ebro River Delta...
along the Alfacs Peninsula...along the Alfacs Peninsula...
in a microbial matin a microbial mat
10 cm
Mineralogical Composition Mineralogical Composition Of Ebro DeltaOf Ebro Delta
Carbon and NitrogenCarbon and Nitrogen
Areas with microbial mats:Areas with microbial mats:
NitrogenNitrogen 0.3 — 10.8 mg/cm 0.3 — 10.8 mg/cm22
Organic CarbonOrganic Carbon 6.8 — 52.4 mg/cm 6.8 — 52.4 mg/cm22
Areas with no microbial mats:Areas with no microbial mats:
NitrogenNitrogen <1 <1g/cmg/cm22
Organic CarbonOrganic Carbon <4 mg/cm <4 mg/cm22
Mat CommunityMat Community
Aerobic or Anaerobic?Aerobic or Anaerobic?
AnoxicZone
OxicZone
Limited O2
Green LayerGreen Layer
Cyanobacteria — Cyanobacteria — MicrocoleusMicrocoleus
Pink LayerPink Layer
Purple Sulfur PhototrophsPurple Sulfur Phototrophs
Black LayerBlack Layer
Included SpirochetesIncluded Spirochetes
AuthorsAuthors
Ricardo GuerreroRicardo GuerreroAaron HaseltonAaron Haselton
Monica SoléMonica SoléAndrew WierAndrew Wier
Lynn MargulisLynn Margulis
Looking for...Looking for... Spirosymplokos deltaeiberiSpirosymplokos deltaeiberi
Amitochondrial ProtistsAmitochondrial Protists
GiardiaGiardia
EntamoebaEntamoeba
TrichomonasTrichomonas
and Amoebomastigotesand Amoebomastigotes
MethodsMethods• Collected when surface of Microcoleus—Collected when surface of Microcoleus—
dominated mats lacked standing waterdominated mats lacked standing water
• Glass jars filled to brim with sulfide-rich Glass jars filled to brim with sulfide-rich black mud underlying photosynthetic layers black mud underlying photosynthetic layers sealed tightly to minimize Osealed tightly to minimize O22 exposure exposure
• Mat inoculated into anoxic mediaMat inoculated into anoxic media
• Protists removedProtists removed
• After 4 weeks, remoisten with 5ml filtered After 4 weeks, remoisten with 5ml filtered sea Hsea H22OO
• Two days later, 4 protists observedTwo days later, 4 protists observed
FoundFound Titanospirillum velox Titanospirillum velox
Thought it was a protist!Thought it was a protist!
5 m
Domain BacteriaDomain Bacteria
Kingdom SpirocheteKingdom Spirochete
Anammox
Size…Size…20-4020-40m longm long3-6 3-6 m widem wide
5 m
5 m
Titanospirillum veloxTitanospirillum velox......is a million times bigger than is a million times bigger than
Escherichia coliEscherichia coli!!
5 um
HeterotrophicHeterotrophic
5 m
HeterotrophsHeterotrophs
derive energy from breaking down derive energy from breaking down complex organic compounds that are complex organic compounds that are
taken from the environment.taken from the environment.
Stores sulfur globulesStores sulfur globules
5 m
5 m
Its part of the Sulfur CycleIts part of the Sulfur Cycle
HH22S + ½ OS + ½ O22 -----> S -----> Soo + H + H22O + energyO + energy
Oxidizes Hydrogen SulfideOxidizes Hydrogen Sulfide
>60 flagella at each terminus>60 flagella at each terminus
5 m
single arrow points to standard
size Spirilla
SpeedySpeedy
bend, flex and bend, flex and
swim in a spiral fashion swim in a spiral fashion
10 body lengths in 1 second10 body lengths in 1 second
Large size should aid in study of Large size should aid in study of microbial motilitymicrobial motility
Adrianus PijperAdrianus Pijper• Lived 1886-1984 - South African biologistLived 1886-1984 - South African biologist• Spirilla exhibit a gyratory and undulatory Spirilla exhibit a gyratory and undulatory
movementmovement• Claimed bacilli, vibios and spirilla are all spiral-Claimed bacilli, vibios and spirilla are all spiral-
shaped when swimming, and they swim with shaped when swimming, and they swim with undulation of a flexible cell bodyundulation of a flexible cell body
• Claimed that flagella are a nonessential product of Claimed that flagella are a nonessential product of motilitymotility
• He misinterpreted rotary activity - his ideas were He misinterpreted rotary activity - his ideas were summarily dismissedsummarily dismissed
• However, these cell walls do show some role in However, these cell walls do show some role in swimmingswimming
Also found...Also found...
Plum Island, northeast Essex Plum Island, northeast Essex County, MassachusettsCounty, Massachusetts
• Among Purple phototrophic and other Among Purple phototrophic and other inhabitants of sulfurous microbial mat mudinhabitants of sulfurous microbial mat mud
• Samples from both Spain and the United Samples from both Spain and the United States survived months in sealed jarsStates survived months in sealed jars
• Cosmopolitan distribution?Cosmopolitan distribution?
Paper written 1999Paper written 1999
No paper since that time...No paper since that time...
Thank youThank you