Abstract
The paper deals with the X-ray microanalysis of the elemental composition of bacteriomorphic particles in 170 000-year-old Antarctic permafrost sediments and in indoor dust. A comparative analysis of the phosphorus, sulfur, calcium, and potassium contents and the Ca/K and P/S ratios in these particles and in reference microbial cells occurring in different physiological states showed that the absence of P and/or S peaks in the X-ray spectrum of an object may indicate that it is abiotic. Resting microbial forms can be revealed on the basis of the following characteristic features: an increased content of Ca, a high Ca/K ratio, and a low P/S ratio. Model experiments with nonviable bacterial and yeast micromummies with alterations in the structural and barrier functions of the cytoplasmic membrane showed that micromummies can be recognized by a superhigh content of a marker element (e.g., P, K, or Si), accumulated due to facilitated diffusion along a deliberately created concentration gradient. Such an analysis of the permafrost sediment and dust made it possible to suggest the presence of mummified cells in these objects. The possibility of using X-ray microanalysis for the detection of microbial cells in natural habitats in order to enhance the efficiency of ecological monitoring of the environment is discussed.
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Mulyukin, A.L., Sorokin, V.V., Vorob'eva, E.A. et al. Detection of Microorganisms in the Environment and the Preliminary Appraisal of Their Physiological State by X-ray Microanalysis. Microbiology 71, 723–734 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021444309796
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021444309796