Inoculation of samples from a small eutrophic pond into pyruvate/malate medium at neutral pH yielded a new species of the Rhodospirillaceae described here as Rhodopseudomonas blastica. The cells are ovoid to rod-shaped, 1 to 2.5 μm long and 0.6 to 0.8 μm wide, non-motile and multiply by a process of sessile budding. The photosynthetic membrane system consists of lamellae parallel to and underlying the cell membrane. The photopigments consist of bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids of the spheroidene group. Cells can grow anaerobically in the light using a wide range of organic compounds. Aerobic growth in the dark is also possible. Nicotinic acid and thiamin are required as growth factors. Good photolithotrophic growth with H2 is possible, but sulphide and thiosulphate cannot be used as electron donors. As this species has properties lying between the two groups of existing Rhodopseudomonas species, i.e. those which show intercalary growth and those which multiply by budding (asymmetric polar growth), a new species is hereby proposed.
GorlenkoV. M.,
KeppenO. I.,
PuchkovA. N.1976; Morphological differentiation in nonsulphur purple bacteria.. Microbiology (English translation of Mikrobiologiya) 45:705–710
HansenT. A.,
VeldkampH.1973; Rhodopseudomonas sulfidophila, nov.spec., a new species of the purple non-sulfur bacteria.. Archiv für Mikrobiologie 92:45–58
KeppenO. I.,
GorlenkoV. M.1975; A new species of purple budding bacteria containing bacteriochlorophyll b.. Microbiology (English translation of Mikrobiologiya) 44:224–229
Liaaen-JensenS.1963; Carotenoids of photosynthetic bacteria - distribution, structure and biosynthesis.. In Bacterial Photosynthesis, pp. 19–34 Edited by GestH.,
SanPietroA.,
VernonL. P.
Yellow Springs, Ohio: Antioch Press.;
MandelM.,
SchildkrautC. L.,
MarmurJ.1968; Use of CsCl density gradient centrifugation analysis for determining the guanine plus cytosine content of DNA.. Methods in Enzymology 12B:184–195
PfennigN.,
TrüperH. G.1973; The Rhodospirillales (phototrophic or photosynthetic bacteria).. In Handbook of Microbiology1 pp. 17–27 Edited by LaskinA. I.,
LechevalierH. A.
Cleveland: CRC Press.;
RyterA.,
KellenbergerE.1958; Étude au microscope électronique de plasmas contenant de l’acide désoxyribonucléique. I. Les nucléotides des bactéries en croissance active.. Zeitschrift für Naturforschung 13b:597–605
SlefertE.,
IrgensR. L.,
PfennigN.1978; Phototrophic purple and green bacteria in a sewage treatment plant.. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 35:38–44
Van NielC. B.1944; The culture, general physiology, morphology and classification of the non-sulfur purple and brown bacteria.. Bacteriological Reviews 8:1–118
WestmacottD.,
PrimroseS. B.1975; An anaerobic bag for photoheterotrophic growth of some Rhodospirillaceae in Petri dishes.. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 38:205–207
WhittenburyR.,
DowC. S.1977; Morphogenesis and differentiation in Rhodomicrobium vannielii and other budding and prosthecate bacteria.. Bacteriological Reviews 41:754–808