Titanospirillum veloxTitanospirillum velox

Barbara J. S. Edmunds

Not Not Titanospirillum veloxTitanospirillum velox!!

Titanospirillum veloxTitanospirillum velox

5 m

Found in the Mediterranean...Found in the Mediterranean...

in Tarragona, Spain...in Tarragona, Spain...

in the Ebro River Delta...in the Ebro River Delta...

along the Alfacs Peninsula...along the Alfacs Peninsula...

in a microbial matin a microbial mat

10 cm

Mineralogical Composition Mineralogical Composition Of Ebro DeltaOf Ebro Delta

Carbon and NitrogenCarbon and Nitrogen

Areas with microbial mats:Areas with microbial mats:

NitrogenNitrogen 0.3 — 10.8 mg/cm 0.3 — 10.8 mg/cm22

Organic CarbonOrganic Carbon 6.8 — 52.4 mg/cm 6.8 — 52.4 mg/cm22

Areas with no microbial mats:Areas with no microbial mats:

NitrogenNitrogen <1 <1g/cmg/cm22

Organic CarbonOrganic Carbon <4 mg/cm <4 mg/cm22

Mat CommunityMat Community

Aerobic or Anaerobic?Aerobic or Anaerobic?

AnoxicZone

OxicZone

Limited O2

Green LayerGreen Layer

Cyanobacteria — Cyanobacteria — MicrocoleusMicrocoleus

Pink LayerPink Layer

Purple Sulfur PhototrophsPurple Sulfur Phototrophs

Black LayerBlack Layer

Included SpirochetesIncluded Spirochetes

AuthorsAuthors

Ricardo GuerreroRicardo GuerreroAaron HaseltonAaron Haselton

Monica SoléMonica SoléAndrew WierAndrew Wier

Lynn MargulisLynn Margulis

Looking for...Looking for... Spirosymplokos deltaeiberiSpirosymplokos deltaeiberi

Amitochondrial ProtistsAmitochondrial Protists

GiardiaGiardia

EntamoebaEntamoeba

TrichomonasTrichomonas

and Amoebomastigotesand Amoebomastigotes

MethodsMethods• Collected when surface of Microcoleus—Collected when surface of Microcoleus—

dominated mats lacked standing waterdominated mats lacked standing water

• Glass jars filled to brim with sulfide-rich Glass jars filled to brim with sulfide-rich black mud underlying photosynthetic layers black mud underlying photosynthetic layers sealed tightly to minimize Osealed tightly to minimize O22 exposure exposure

• Mat inoculated into anoxic mediaMat inoculated into anoxic media

• Protists removedProtists removed

• After 4 weeks, remoisten with 5ml filtered After 4 weeks, remoisten with 5ml filtered sea Hsea H22OO

• Two days later, 4 protists observedTwo days later, 4 protists observed

FoundFound Titanospirillum velox Titanospirillum velox

Thought it was a protist!Thought it was a protist!

5 m

Domain BacteriaDomain Bacteria

Kingdom SpirocheteKingdom Spirochete

Anammox

Size…Size…20-4020-40m longm long3-6 3-6 m widem wide

5 m

5 m

Titanospirillum veloxTitanospirillum velox......is a million times bigger than is a million times bigger than

Escherichia coliEscherichia coli!!

5 um

HeterotrophicHeterotrophic

5 m

HeterotrophsHeterotrophs

derive energy from breaking down derive energy from breaking down complex organic compounds that are complex organic compounds that are

taken from the environment.taken from the environment.

Stores sulfur globulesStores sulfur globules

5 m

5 m

Its part of the Sulfur CycleIts part of the Sulfur Cycle

HH22S + ½ OS + ½ O22 -----> S -----> Soo + H + H22O + energyO + energy

Oxidizes Hydrogen SulfideOxidizes Hydrogen Sulfide

>60 flagella at each terminus>60 flagella at each terminus

5 m

single arrow points to standard

size Spirilla

SpeedySpeedy

bend, flex and bend, flex and

swim in a spiral fashion swim in a spiral fashion

10 body lengths in 1 second10 body lengths in 1 second

Large size should aid in study of Large size should aid in study of microbial motilitymicrobial motility

Adrianus PijperAdrianus Pijper• Lived 1886-1984 - South African biologistLived 1886-1984 - South African biologist• Spirilla exhibit a gyratory and undulatory Spirilla exhibit a gyratory and undulatory

movementmovement• Claimed bacilli, vibios and spirilla are all spiral-Claimed bacilli, vibios and spirilla are all spiral-

shaped when swimming, and they swim with shaped when swimming, and they swim with undulation of a flexible cell bodyundulation of a flexible cell body

• Claimed that flagella are a nonessential product of Claimed that flagella are a nonessential product of motilitymotility

• He misinterpreted rotary activity - his ideas were He misinterpreted rotary activity - his ideas were summarily dismissedsummarily dismissed

• However, these cell walls do show some role in However, these cell walls do show some role in swimmingswimming

Also found...Also found...

Plum Island, northeast Essex Plum Island, northeast Essex County, MassachusettsCounty, Massachusetts

• Among Purple phototrophic and other Among Purple phototrophic and other inhabitants of sulfurous microbial mat mudinhabitants of sulfurous microbial mat mud

• Samples from both Spain and the United Samples from both Spain and the United States survived months in sealed jarsStates survived months in sealed jars

• Cosmopolitan distribution?Cosmopolitan distribution?

Paper written 1999Paper written 1999

No paper since that time...No paper since that time...

Thank youThank you