1887

Journal of Medical Microbiology logo

Volume 35, Issue 6

Surface layers of subsp. and their possible role in test-tube brush formation and iron acquisition Free

Abstract

Summary

subsp. is an anaerobic, gram-positive rod. On isolation forms cellular arrangements resembling test-tube brushes (TTB). Although TTB decreased in size and number on repeated laboratory subculture in enriched media, media poor in available iron enhanced formation of these. Plasmids were not demonstrated, even after chloramphenicol enhancement. To characterise the nature and possible physiological roles of the structures of the TTB, they were examined by transmission electronmicroscopy (TEM) with thin-section, negative-staining, shadow-casting, freeze-etching and freeze-fracturing techniques, and by scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM). Previous studies by phase-contrast microscopy revealed an amorphous core, the size of which varied in direct proportion to the number of associated bacterial cells. Thin sections of the TTB showed a gram-positive cell wall with additional surface layers. Negative staining, shadow casting and freeze etching revealed a surface layer comprising subunits in tetragonal array (P4 symmetry). Shadow casting showed also that the outermost layer of the cells was composed of fibrillar structures closely associated with, but distinct from, the tetragonal layer. The fibrils extended from the cell surface in clumps or strands. The presence of these fibrils was confirmed by the freeze-fracture technique and SEM. Chemical analysis of the core material of the TTB showed it to be low in carbohydrate (0.06%) and protein (0.2%). Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry showed that the core was composed mostly of iron. SEM evidence suggests that the intertwining of the fibrils of several individual cells was responsible for the unique brush-like arrangements characteristic of and may function to entrap or localise iron within the core, possibly as a mechanism of iron sequestration.

  • Received:
  • Accepted:
  • Published Online:
© 1991 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/00222615-35-6-338
1991-12-01
2024-04-26
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/jmm/35/6/medmicro-35-6-338.html?itemId=/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/00222615-35-6-338&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Johne (1881) Cited in Davis DJ The Actinomyces-like granules in tonsils. J Infect Dis 1914; 14:144–158
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Tunnicliff R, Johnson L. Vibriothrix tonsillaris n.sp., the organism of Actinomyces-Uke tonsillar granules. J Infect Dis 1930; 46:12–17
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Listgarten MA. Structure of the microbial flora associated with periodontal health and disease in man. J Periodontal 1976; 47:1–18
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Kolenbrander PE. Intergeneric coaggregation among human oral bacteria and ecology of dental plaque. Annu Rev Microbiol 1988; 42:627–656
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Margaret BS, Krywolap GN. Eubacterium yurii subsp. yurii sp. nov. and Eubacterium yurii subsp. margaretiae, subsp. nov.: test tube brush bacteria from subgingival dental plaque. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1986; 36:145–149
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Margaret BS, Krywolap GN. Eubacterium yurii subsp. schtitka subsp. nov.: test tube brush bacteria from subgingival dental plaque. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1988; 38:207–208
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Reynolds ES. The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron-opaque stain in electron microscopy. J Cell Biol 1963; 17:208–212
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Hudson CS, Rash IE, Graham WF. Introduction to sample preparation for freeze fracture. Rash JE, Hudson CS. eds Freeze fracture: methods, artifacts and interpretations New York: Raven Press; 19791–10
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Dubois M, Gilles KA, Hamilton JK, Rebers PA, Smith F. Colorimetric method for determination of sugars and related substances. Anal Chem 1956; 28:350–356
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Smith PK, Krohn RI, Hermanson GT. et al. Measurement of protein using bicinchoninic acid. Anal Biochem 1985; 150:76–85
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Horner JA. Scanning transmission energy analyzing microscopy. Hayat MA. ed Principle and techniques of scanning electron microscopy. Biological applications 6 New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co; 19781–46
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Terleckyj B, Willet NP, Shockman GD. Growth of several cariogenic strains of oral streptococci in a chemically defined medium. Infect Immun 1975; 11:649–655
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Margaret BS. Characterization of Eubacterium yurii sp. nov.: a test tube brush bacterium from subgingival dental plaque. Baltimore, MD: University of Maryland; Dissertation 19871–146
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Friefelder D. Microbial genetics. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers; 1987268–269
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Archibald FS, DeVoe IW. Removal of iron from human transferrin by Neisseria meningitidis. FEMS 1979; 6:159–162
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Carniel E, Antoine J-C, Guiyoule A, Guiso N, Mollaret HH. Purification, location, and immunological characterization of the iron-regulated high-molecular-weight-proteins of the highly pathogenic Yersiniae. Infect Immun 1989; 57:540–545
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Lee BC, Bryan LE. Identification and comparative analysis of the lactoferrin and transferrin receptors among clinical isolates of gonococci. J Med Microbiol 1989; 28:199–204
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Koval SF. Paracrystalline protein surface arrays on bacteria. Can J Microbiol 1988; 34:407–414
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Sleytr UB, Messner P. Crystalline surface layers in procaryotes. J Bacteriol 1988; 170:2891–2897
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Kerosuo E, Haapasalo M, Lounatmaa K, Ranta H, Ranta K. Ultrastructure of a novel anaerobic gram-positive nonspor-ing rod from dental root canal. ScandJ Dent Res 1988; 96:50–55
     [Google Scholar]
  21. van Winkelhoff AJ. Black-pigmented Bacteroides in human oral disease. Amsterdam: Free University Press; 198667–90
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Boyd RF. General microbiology. St Louis, Mosby College Publishing Co; 1988362
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Hill GB, Ayers OM, Kohan AP. Characteristics and sites of infection of Eubacterium nodatum, Eubacterium timidum, Eubacterium brachy, and other asaccharolytic eubacteria. J Clin Microbiol 1987; 25:1540–1545
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Walker RL, MacLachlan N J. Isolation of Eubacterium suis from cows with cystitis. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1989; 195:1104–1107
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Severijnen AJ, van Kleef R, Hazenberg MP, Van de Merwe JP. Chronic arthritis induced in rats by cell wall fragments of Eubacterium species from human intestinal flora. Infect Immun 1990; 58:523–528
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Margaret BS, Heath JR, Krywolap GN. Pathogenic potential of Eubacterium yurii subspecies. J Med Microbiol 1990; 31:103–108
     [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/00222615-35-6-338
Loading
Surface layers of Eubacterium yurii subsp. yurii and their possible role in test-tube brush formation and iron acquisition
J. Med. Microbiol. 35, 338 (1991); https://doi.org/10.1099/00222615-35-6-338
/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/00222615-35-6-338
/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/00222615-35-6-338
Loading

Data & Media loading...

Most cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error