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Intercellular structure in a many-celled magnetotactic prokaryote

Archives of Microbiology volume 154, pages 18–22 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

A many-called magnetotactic prokaryote obtained from brackish water was observed to possess intercellular connections at points of contact between the outer membranes of constituent cells. Each aggregate organism consisted of 10 to 30 individual Gram-negative cells containing material with the appearance of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate and magnetosomes of unusual arrangement, structure and composition. The aggregate, which possessed prokaryotic-type flagella arranged at the outwards surfaces of each cell, showed motility indicative of co-ordination between individual component cells. These results suggest that this organism could be a multicellular prokaryote.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Spaulding Life Science Building, University of New Hampshire, 03824, Durham, NH, USA

    Frank G. Rodgers, Richard P. Blakemore, Nancy A. Blakemore & Christine Rodgers

  2. Department of Physics, California Polytechnic State University, 93407, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

    Richard B. Frankel

  3. Department of Anaerobic Microbiology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 24061, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    Dennis A. Bazylinski

  4. Creative Biomolecules, 35 South Street, 01748, Hopkinton, MA, USA

    Denise Maratea

Authors
  1. Frank G. Rodgers
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  2. Richard P. Blakemore
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  3. Nancy A. Blakemore
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  4. Richard B. Frankel
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  5. Dennis A. Bazylinski
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  6. Denise Maratea
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  7. Christine Rodgers
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Rodgers, F.G., Blakemore, R.P., Blakemore, N.A. et al. Intercellular structure in a many-celled magnetotactic prokaryote. Arch. Microbiol. 154, 18–22 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00249172

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00249172

Key words

  • Intercellular junctions
  • Multicellularity in prokaryotes
  • Bacterial magnetotaxis
  • Ultrastructure
  • Bacterial co-ordination