Abstract
WE have found bacteriochlorophyll-like pigments in two types of filamentous gliding prokaryotes that occur abundantly in alkaline hot springs. They are temporarily designated F-l and F-2. Representatives of F-2, found in hot springs of Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Guatemala and the western United States, have been isolated in pure culture. They often exist as thick gelatinous mats up to about 70° C and are bright orange from the high content of carotenoids, but in North America they are normally covered by a layer of blue-green algae such as Synechococcus sp. Because of their colour and morphological characteristics, F-2 filaments were previously thought to be members of the heterotrophic, achlorophyllous flexibacteria1,2. The trichomes are 0.5-1.0µm in diameter and of varying lengths. They are motile and glide on agar substrates at 45° C or 60° C at rates of 0.01-0.04µ/s (Fig. 1 A).
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
We are sorry, but there is no personal subscription option available for your country.
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Castenholz, R. W., Bact. Rev., 33, 476 (1969).
Brock, T. D., Phycologia, 8, 201 (1969).
Van Baalen, C., J. Phyco., 3, 154 (1967).
Sistrom, W. R., and Clayton, R. K., Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 88, 61 (1964).
Olson, J. M., and Stanton, E. K., in The Chlorophylls (edit. by Vernon, L. P., and Seely, G. R.), 381 (Academic Press, New York, 1966).
Cohen-Bazire, G., and Sistrom, W. R., in The Chlorophylls (edit. by Vernon, L. P., and Seely, G. R.), 313 (Academic Press, New York, 1966).
Jensen, A., Aasmundrud, O., and Eimhjellen, K. E., Biochim. Biophys. Acta., 88, 466 (1964).
Stanier, R. Y., and Smith, J. H. C., Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 41, 478 (1960).
Brock, M. L., and Brock, T. D., Intern. Assoc. Theoret. Appl. Limnol. Commun., No. 15, 1(1968).
Lewin, R. A., and Lounsbery, D. M., J. Gen. Microbiol., 58, 145 (1969).
Lewin, R. A., J. Gen. Microbiol., 58, 189 (1969).
Lewin, R. A., Canad. J. Microbiol., 16, 517 (1970).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
PIERSON, B., CASTENHOLZ, R. Bacteriochlorophylls in Gliding Filamentous Prokaryotes from Hot Springs. Nature New Biology 233, 25–27 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio233025a0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio233025a0
This article is cited by
-
Astonishing diversity of natural surfactants: 3. Carotenoid glycosides and isoprenoid glycolipids
Lipids (2005)
-
Reflections onChloroflexus
Photosynthesis Research (1994)
-
Heliothrix oregonensis, gen. nov., sp. nov., a phototrophic filamentous gliding bacterium containing bacteriochlorophyll a
Archives of Microbiology (1985)
-
Particulate fractions from Chloroflexus aurantiacus and distribution of lipids and polyprenoid forming activities
Archives of Microbiology (1983)
-
Response of thermal algal-bacterial mat to grazing by brine flies
Microbial Ecology (1980)