Abstract
The radiation resistant bacteria Micrococcus radiophilus and M. radioproteolyticus were studied by thin sectioning and freeze-etching techniques and the two species were found to be similar in the fine structure. The only significant difference was in the appearance of the surfaces of the cell walls in freeze-etched preparations.
Since the two species, together with M. radiodurans, possess a unique cell wall structure and a cell wall peptidoglycan, which is different from that of other micrococci and Gram-positive cocci, it is recommended that they be reclassified into a new genus.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Burdett, I. D. J., Murray, R. G. E.: Electron microscope study of septum formation in Escherichia coli strain B and B/r during synchronous growth. J. Bact. 119, 1039–1056 (1974)
Duggan, D. E., Anderson, A. W., Elliker, P. R., Cain, R. F.: Ultraviolet exposure studies on a gamma radiation resistant Micrococcus isolated from food. Food Res. 24, 376–382 (1959)
Ghuysen, J. M.: Use of bacteriologic enzymes in determination of wall structure and their role in cell metabolism. Bact. Rev. 32, 425–464 (1968)
Kobatake, M., Tanabe, S., Hasegawa, S.: Nouveau Micrococcus radiorésistant à pigment rouge, isolé de fèces de Lama glama, at son utilisation comme indicateur microbiologique de la radiostérilisation. C. R. Soc. Biol. (Paris) 167, 1506–1510 (1973)
Kocur, M., Sleytr, U. B.: Structure of Micrococcus diversus after freeze-etching. Microbios 10, 71–73 (1974)
Lewis, N. F.: Radio-resistant Micrococcus radiophilus sp. nov. isolated from irradiated Bombay duck (Harpodon neherus). Curr. Sci. 42, 504 (1973)
Moor, H., Mühlethaler, K.: Fine structure in frozen-etched yeast cells. J. Cell Biol. 17, 609–628 (1963)
Remsen, C. C., Hess, W. M., Sassen, M. M. A.: Fine structure of germinating Penicillium megasporum conidia. Protoplasma (Wien) 64, 439–451 (1967)
Remsen, C. C., Watson, S. W.: Freeze-etching of bacteria. Int. Rev. Cytol. 33, 253–296 (1972)
Ryter, A., Kellenberger, E.: Etude au microscope electronique de plasmas contenant de l'acide désoxyribonucléique. I. Les nucléoides des bactéries en croissance active. Z. Naturforsch. 13b, 597–605 (1958)
Schleifer, K. H., Kandler, O.: Peptidoglycan types of bacterial cell walls and their taxonomic implication. Bact. Rev. 36, 407–477 (1972)
Silva, M. T.: Changes induced in the ultrastructure of the cytoplasmic and intracytoplasmic membranes of several Grampositive bacteria by variations in OsO4 fixation. J. Microscopy 93, 227–232 (1971)
Silva, M. T., Kocur, M.: The fine structure of Micrococcus cyaneus. Arch. Mikrobiol. 86, 211–220 (1972)
Sleytr, U. B.: Plastic deformation during freeze-cleaving. Proc. Roy. Microscop. Soc. 10, 103 (1975)
Sleytr, U. B., Adam, H., Klaushofer, H.: Die Feinstruktur der Konidien von Aspergillus niger, V. Tiegh., dargestellt mit Hilfe der Gefrierätztechnik. Mikroskopie 25, 320–331 (1969)
Sleytr, U. B., Kocur, M.: Structure of Micrococcus cryophilus after freeze-etching. Arch. Mikrobiol. 78, 353–359 (1971)
Sleytr, U. B., Kocur, M.: Structure of Micrococcus denitrificans and M. halodenitrificans revealed by freeze-etching. J. appl. Bact. 36, 19–22 (1973)
Sleytr, U. B., Kocur, M., Glauert, A. M., Thornley, M. J.: A study by freeze-etching of the fine structure of Micrococcus radiodurans. Arch. Mikrobiol. 94, 77–87 (1973)
Sleytr, U. B., Thornley, M. J.: Freeze-etching of the cell envelope of an Acinetobacter species which carries a regular array of surface subunits. J. Bact. 116, 1383–1397 (1973)
Sleytr, U. B., Umrath, W.: A simple fracturing device for obtaining complementary replicas of freeze-fractured and freeze-etched suspensions and tissue fragments. J. Microscopy 101, 177–186 (1974)
Thiéry, J. P.: Mise en évidence des polysaccharides sur couples fine en microscopie électronique. J. Microscopie 6, 987–1018 (1967)
Thornley, M. J., Horne, R. W., Glauert, A. M.: The fine structure of Micrococcus radiodurans. Arch. Mikrobiol. 51, 267–287 (1965)
Work, E., Griffiths, H.: Morphology and chemistry of cell walls of Micrococcus radiodurans. J. Bact. 95, 641–657 (1968)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sleytr, U.B., Silva, M.T., Kocur, M. et al. The fine structure of Micrococcus radiophilus and Micrococcus radioproteolyticus . Arch. Microbiol. 107, 313–320 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00425346
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00425346