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Magnetotactic bacteria

About: Magnetotactic bacteria is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1118 publications have been published within this topic receiving 43741 citations.


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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Novel large, rod-shaped magnetotactic bacteria found in intertidal sediments of the Yellow Sea, China are affiliated with the Alphaproteobacteria and may represent a new genus of MTB.
Abstract: Novel large, rod-shaped magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) were discovered in intertidal sediments of the Yellow Sea, China. They biomineralized more than 300 rectangular magnetite magnetosomes per cell. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that they are affiliated with the Alphaproteobacteria and may represent a new genus of MTB.

17 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A population of an uncultured, monotrichously flagellated, and vibrioid MTB collected from a brackish lagoon in Brazil in the Southern Hemisphere that consistently exhibits north-seeking polarity is reported, supporting the idea that magnetotaxis is more complex than previously thought.
Abstract: Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) comprise a phylogenetically diverse group of prokaryotes capable of orienting and navigating along magnetic field lines. Under oxic conditions, MTB in natural environments in the Northern Hemisphere generally display north-seeking (NS) polarity, swimming parallel to the Earth9s magnetic field lines, while those in the Southern Hemisphere generally swim antiparallel to magnetic field lines (south-seeking [SS] polarity). Here, we report a population of an uncultured, monotrichously flagellated, and vibrioid MTB collected from a brackish lagoon in Brazil in the Southern Hemisphere that consistently exhibits NS polarity. Cells of this organism were mainly located below the oxic-anoxic interface (OAI), suggesting it is capable of some type of anaerobic metabolism. Magnetosome crystalline habit and composition were consistent with elongated prismatic magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) particles. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that this organism belongs to a distinct clade of the Gammaproteobacteria class. The presence of NS MTB in the Southern Hemisphere and the previously reported finding of SS MTB in the Northern Hemisphere reinforce the idea that magnetotaxis is more complex than we currently understand and may be modulated by factors other than O 2 concentration and redox gradients in sediments and water columns. IMPORTANCE Magnetotaxis is a navigational mechanism used by magnetotactic bacteria to move along geomagnetic field lines and find an optimal position in chemically stratified sediments. For that, magnetotactic bacteria swim parallel to the geomagnetic field lines under oxic conditions in the Northern Hemisphere, whereas those in the Southern Hemisphere swim antiparallel to magnetic field lines. A population of uncultured vibrioid magnetotactic bacteria was discovered in a brackish lagoon in the Southern Hemisphere that consistently swim northward, i.e., the opposite of the overwhelming majority of other Southern Hemisphere magnetotactic bacteria. This finding supports the idea that magnetotaxis is more complex than previously thought.

17 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: By taking advantage of the magnetotactic bacterial system, the first experimental evidence for the presumed energy consumption during assembly of naturally occurring sub-100 nm intra-cellular organelles is presented.
Abstract: Magnetotactic bacteria are unique prokaryotes possessing the feature of cellular organelles called magnetosomes (membrane bound 40-50 nm vesicles entrapping a magnetic nano-crystal of magnetite or greigite). The obvious energetic impact of sophisticated eukaryotic-like membrane-bound organelle assembly on a presumably simpler prokaryotic system is not addressed in literature. In this work, while presenting evidence of direct coupling of carbon source consumption to synthesis of magnetosomes, we provide the first experimentally derived estimate of energy for organelle synthesis by Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense as approximately 5 nJoules per magnetosome. Considering our estimate of approximately 0.2 microJoules per bacterial cell as the energy required for growth, we show that the energetic load of organelle synthesis results in stunting of cell growth. We also show that removal of soluble iron or sequestration by exogenous compounds in the bacterial cell cultures reverses the impact of the excess metabolic load exerted during magnetosomal synthesis. Thus, by taking advantage of the magnetotactic bacterial system we present the first experimental evidence for the presumed energy consumption during assembly of naturally occurring sub-100 nm intra-cellular organelles.

17 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Apr 2019-Small
TL;DR: This strategy provides a feasible method to manoeuvre MTB for applications in complex fluid environments, such as magnetic drug release systems and real-time tracking systems, and provides a paradigm for controlling the mobility of micro-/nanomotors based on natural small organisms.
Abstract: Micro-/nanomotors are widely used in micro-/nanoprocessing, cargo transportation, and other microscale tasks because of their ability to move independently. Many biological hybrid motors based on bacteria have been developed. Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) have been employed as motors in biological systems because of their good biocompatibility and magnetotactic motion in magnetic fields. However, the magnetotaxis of MTB is difficult to control due to the lack of effective methods. Herein, a strategy that enables control over the motion of MTB is presented. By depositing synthetic Fe3 O4 magnetic nanoparticles on the surface of MTB, semiartificial magnetotactic bacteria (SAMTB) are produced. The overall magnetic properties of SAMTB, including saturation magnetization, residual magnetization, and blocking temperature, are regulated in a multivariate and multilevel fashion, thus regulating the magnetic sensitivity of SAMTB. This strategy provides a feasible method to manoeuvre MTB for applications in complex fluid environments, such as magnetic drug release systems and real-time tracking systems. Furthermore, this concept and methodology provide a paradigm for controlling the mobility of micro-/nanomotors based on natural small organisms.

17 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This is the first report of an MTB phylogenetically affiliated with Betaproteobacteria class from an acidic freshwater lagoon in Brazil and some of the retrieved gene sequences belonged to the genus Herbaspirillum within the BetAProteob bacteria class of the Proteobacteria phylum.
Abstract: Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) comprise a group of motile microorganisms common in most mesothermal aquatic habitats with pH values around neutrality. However, during the last two decades, a number of MTB from extreme environments have been characterized including: cultured alkaliphilic strains belonging to the Deltaproteobacteria class of the Proteobacteria phylum; uncultured moderately thermophilic strains belonging to the Nitrospirae phylum; cultured and uncultured moderately halophilic or strongly halotolerant bacteria affiliated with the Deltaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria classes and an uncultured psychrophilic species belonging to the Alphaproteobacteria class. Here, we used culture-independent techniques to characterize MTB from an acidic freshwater lagoon in Brazil (pH ∼ 4.4). MTB morphotypes found in this acidic lagoon included cocci, rods, spirilla and vibrioid cells. Magnetite (Fe3 O4 ) was the only mineral identified in magnetosomes of these MTB while magnetite magnetosome crystal morphologies within the different MTB cells included cuboctahedral (present in spirilla), elongated prismatic (present in cocci and vibrios) and bullet-shaped (present in rod-shaped cells). Intracellular pH measurements using fluorescent dyes showed that the cytoplasmic pH was close to neutral in most MTB cells and acidic in some intracellular granules. Based on 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analyses, some of the retrieved gene sequences belonged to the genus Herbaspirillum within the Betaproteobacteria class of the Proteobacteria phylum. Fluorescent in situ hybridization using a Herbaspirillum-specific probe hybridized with vibrioid MTB in magnetically-enriched samples. Transmission electron microscopy of the Herbaspirillum-like MTB revealed the presence of many intracellular granules and a single chain of elongated prismatic magnetite magnetosomes. Diverse populations of MTB have not seemed to have been described in detail in an acid environment. In addition, this is the first report of an MTB phylogenetically affiliated with Betaproteobacteria class.

17 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
202339
202288
202137
202061
201950
201873