Abstract
-
1.
Seven strains of Spirochaeta aurantia were isolated from pond and swamp water by means of a selective technique which utilized the ability of these organisms to move through bacterial filters and to diffuse through agar media. Although most of the isolations were accomplished when enrichment media low in carbohydrates were used, all seven strains were found to be exclusively saccharolytic.
-
2.
The isolates could be divided into two groups on the basis of cell morophology: a loosely coiled group, and a tightly coiled group with markedly smaller wave length and wave amplitude. Spirochetes of the latter group possessed a slightly lower GC content in their DNA. The isolates were facultative anaerobes, synthesized carotenoid pigments which conferred an orange color to aerobic colonies, and utilized a variety of carbohydrates — but not amino acids — as energy sources. Exogenous thiamine was required by six isolates tested. riboflavin by four, and biotin by one. The major products of glucose fermentation were acetate, ethanol, CO2 and H2. Growth of the isolates was inhibited by a variety of antibiotics. Determinations of GC contents of DNA showed that strains of S. aurantia are phylogenetically distant from spirochetes classified in the genera Treponema and Leptospira.
-
3.
S. aurantia populations inoculated in the center of agar medium plates migrated in the form of growth rings toward the periphery of the plates. The rate of migration of glucoseutilizing rings was greatest at low glucose concentrations (e.g., 0.02 g/100 ml). It was concluded that migration of cells present in these rings was mainly due to a chemotactic response to glucose which served both as the attractant and the substrate. Chemotaxis of S. aurantia toward glucose may be used as a selective factor in isolating this bacterium from natural environments.
-
4.
The subspecific epithet stricta is proposed to recognize, taxonomically, the tightly coiled strains of S. aurantia.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adler, J.: Chemotaxis in bacteria. Science 153, 708–716 (1966)
Blakemore, R. P., Canale-Parola, E.: Morphological and ecological characteristics of Spirochaeta plicatilis. Arch. Mikrobiol. 89, 273–289 (1973)
Breznak, J. A., Canale-Parola, E.: Spirochaeta aurantia, a pigmented, facultatively anaerobic spirochete. J. Bact. 97, 386–395 (1969)
Breznak, J. A., Canale-Parola, E.: Metabolism of Spirochaeta aurantia. I. Anaerobic energy-yielding pathways. Arch. Mikrobiol. 83, 261–277 (1972a)
Breznak, J. A., Canale-Parola, E.: Metabolism of Spirochaeta aurantia. II. Aerobic oxidation of carbohydrates. Arch. Mikrobiol. 83, 278–292 (1972b)
Burton, K.: A study of the conditions and mechanism of the diphenylamine reaction for the colorimetric estimation of deoxyribonucleic acid. Biochem. J. 62, 315–323 (1956)
Canale-Parola, E.: Isolation, growth and maintenance of anaerobic free-living spirochetes. In: Methods in microbiology, Vol. 8, J. R. Norris, D. W. Ribbons, eds., pp. 61–73. New York: Academic Press 1973
Canale-Parola, E., Holt, S. C., Udris, Z.: Isolation of freeliving, anaerobic spirochetes. Arch. Mikrobiol. 59, 41–48 (1967)
Canale-Parola, E., Rosenthal, S. L., Kupfer, D. G.: Morphological and physiological characteristics of Spirillum gracile sp. n. Antonie v. Leeuwenhoek 32, 113–124 (1966)
Canale-Parola, E., Udris, Z., Mandel, M.: The classification of free-living spirochetes. Arch. Mikrobiol. 63, 385–397 (1968)
Conn, H. J., Jennison, M. W., Weeks, O. B.: Routine tests for the identification of bacteria. In: Manual of microbiological methods. M. J. Pelczar, H. J. Conn, eds., pp. 140–168. New York: McGraw-Hill 1957
Dinger, J. E.: Duurzaamheid der smetkracht van leptospirenkweeken. Geneesk. T. Ned.-Ind. 72, 1511 (1932)
Grippo, P., Iaccarino, M., Rossi, M., Scarano, E.: Thin-layer chromatography of nucleotides, nucleosides and nucleic acid bases. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 95, 1–7 (1965)
Hespell, R. B., Canale-Parola, E.: Spirochaeta litoralis sp.n., a strictly anaerobic marine spirochete. Arch. Mikrobiol. 74, 1–18 (1970a)
Hespell, R. B., Canale-Parola, E.: Carbohydrate metabolism in Spirochaeta stenostrepta. J. Bact. 103, 216–226 (1970b)
International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria: Int. J. Syst. Bact. 16, 459–490 (1966)
Jahn, T. L., Landman, M. D.: Locomotion of spirochetes. Trans. Amer. Micr. Soc. 84, 395–406 (1965)
Mandel, M., Igambi, L., Bergendahl, J., Dodson, M. L., Jr., Scheltgen, E.: Correlation of melting temperature and cesium chloride buoyant density of bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid. J. Bact. 101, 333–338 (1970)
Mandel, M., Marmur, J.: Use of ultraviolet absorbance-temperature profile for determining the guanine plus cytosine content of DNA. In: Methods in enzymology, Vol. 12, part B, L. Grossman, K. Moldave, eds., pp. 195–206. New York: Academic Press 1968
Marmur, J.: A procedure for the isolation of deoxyribonucleic acid from micro-organisms. J. molec. Biol. 3, 208–218 (1961)
Marmur, J., Doty, P.: Determination of the base composition of deoxyribonucleic acid from its thermal denaturation temperature. J. molec. Biol. 5, 109–118 (1962)
Marmur, J., Seaman, E., Levine, J.: Interspecific transformation in Bacillus. J. Bact. 85, 461–467 (1963)
Neish, A. C.: Analytical methods for bacterial fermentations, 2nd revision. National Research Council of Canada, Report No. 46-8-3, Saskatoon 1952
Rownd, R.: Replication of a bacterial episome under relaxed control. J. molec. Biol. 44, 387–402 (1969)
Schildkraut, C. L., Marmur, J., Doty, P.: Determination of the base composition of deoxyribonucleic acid from its buoyant density in CsCl. J. molec. Biol. 4, 430–443 (1962)
Thorne, C. B.: Transducing bacteriophage for Bacillus cereus. J. Virol. 2, 657–662 (1968)
Veldkamp, H.: Isolation and characteristics of Treponema zuelzerae nov. spec., an anaerobic, free-living spirochete. Antonie v. Leeuwenhoek 26, 103–125 (1960)
Vinzent, R.: Isolement et culture de spirilles et de spirochètes des eaux. C.R. Soc. Biol. (Paris) 95, 1472–1474 (1926)
Wyatt, G. R., Cohen, S. S.: The bases of the nucleic acids of some bacterial and animal viruses: the occurrence of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. Biochem. J. 55, 774–782 (1953)
Zuelzer, M.: deÜber Spirochaeta plicatilis Ehrbg. und deren Verwandtschaftsbeziehungen. Arch. Protistenk. 24, 1–59 (1911/1912)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Breznak, J.A., Canale-Parola, E. Morphology and physiology of Spirochaeta aurantia strains isolated from aquatic habitats. Arch. Microbiol. 105, 1–12 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00447104
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00447104