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Chemoautotrophic, sulfur-oxidizing symbiotic bacteria on marine nematodes: Morphological and biochemical characterization

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Abstract

The marine, free-living Stilbonematinae (Nematoda: Desmodorida) inhabit the oxygen sulfide chemocline in marine sands. They are characterized by an association with ectosymbiotic bacteria. According to their ultrastructure the bacteria are Gram-negative and form morphologically uniform coats that cover the entire body surface of the worms. They are arranged in host-genus or host-species specific patterns: cocci form multilayered sheaths, rods, and crescent- or filament-shaped bacteria form monolayers. The detection of enzymes associated with sulfur metabolism and of ribulose-1,5 bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase, as well as elemental sulfur in the bacteria indicate a chemolithoautotrophic nature of the symbionts. Their reproductive patterns appear to optimize space utilization on the host surface: vertically standing rods divide by longitudinal fission, whereas other bacteria form non-septate filaments of up to 100 μm length.

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Author notes

  1. Martin F. Polz

    Present address: The Biological Laboratories, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, 02138, Cambridge, MA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Zoologie, Abteilung für Meeresbiologie und Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria

    Martin F. Polz, Rudolf Novak, Monika Nebelsick & Jörg A. Ott

  2. Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 92093, La Jolla, California, USA

    Horst Felbeck

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  1. Martin F. Polz
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  2. Horst Felbeck
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  3. Rudolf Novak
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  4. Monika Nebelsick
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  5. Jörg A. Ott
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Polz, M.F., Felbeck, H., Novak, R. et al. Chemoautotrophic, sulfur-oxidizing symbiotic bacteria on marine nematodes: Morphological and biochemical characterization. Microb Ecol 24, 313–329 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00167789

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00167789

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