Abstract
The basic cellular organization of Heliobacterium chlorum is described using the freeze-etching technique. Internal cell membranes have not been observed in most cells, leading to the conclusion that the photosynthetic apparatus of these organisms must be localized in the cell membrane of the bacterium. The two fracture faces of the cell membrane are markedly different. The cytoplasmic (PF) face is covered with densely packed particles averaging 8 nm in diameter, while the exoplasmic (EF) face contains far fewer particles, averaging approximately 10 nm in diameter. Although a few differentiated regions were noted within these fracture faces, the overall appearance of the cell membrane was remarkably uniform. The Heliobacterium chlorum cell wall is a strikingly regular structure, composed of repeating subunits arranged in a rectangular pattern at a spacing of 11 nm in either direction. We have isolated cell wall fragments by brief sonication in distilled water, and visualized the cell wall structure by negative staining as well as deep-etching.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- PF:
-
protoplasmic fracture face
- EF:
-
exoplasmic fracture face
References
Brockman H jr., Lipinski A (1983) Bacteriochlorophyll g. A new bacteriochlorophyll from Heliobacterium chlorum. Arch Microbiol 136:17–19
Evers D, Weckeser J, Drews G (1984) Protein on the cell surface of the moderately halophilic phototrophic bacterium Rhodospirillum salexigens. J Bact 160:107–111
Fuller R, Sprague SG, Gest H, Blankenship RE (1985) A unique photosynthetic reaction center from Heliobacterium chlorum. FEBS Lett 182:345–349
Gest H, Favinger JL (1983) Heliobacterium chlorum, an anoxygenic brownishgreen photosynthetic bacterium containing a “new” form of bacteriochlorophyll. Arch Microbiol 136:11–16
Remsen CC (1972) Freeze-etching of bacteria. Int Rev Cytol 33:253–296
Remsen CC (1978) Comparative subcellular architecture of photosynthetic bacteria. In: Clayton RK, Sistrom WR (eds) The photosynthetic bacteria. Plenum Press, New York, pp 31–60
Remsen CC, Watson SW, Trüper HG (1970) Macromolecular subunits in the walls of marine photosynthetic bacteria. J Bact 103:255–258
Wakim B, Golecki JR, Oelze J (1978) The unusual mode of altering the cellular membrane content by Rhodospirillum tenue. FEMS Microbiol Lett 4:199–201
Weckesser J, Drews G, Tauschel H-D (1969) Zur Feinstruktur und Taxonomie von Rhodopseudomonas gelatinosa. Arch Mikrobiol 65:346–358
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Miller, K.R., Jacob, J.S., Smith, U. et al. Heliobacterium chlorum: cell organization and structure. Arch. Microbiol. 146, 111–114 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402335
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402335