Role of the Cell Surface of Methanosarcina mazei in Cell Aggregation

Colonial aggregates of Methanosarcina (= Methanococcus) mazei were examined with scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Cells are irregular and grouped into multicellular sarcinal colonies, which may disaggregate in older cultures. The protoplast is bounded by a typical trilaminar plasma membrane, outside of which is a matrix of loose fibrils. The presence and compactness of matrix material are responsible for the close packing of cells, and colony disaggregation seems to be the result of matrix shedding and degradation. The cell envelope contains complex hetero polysaccharides of N-acetylgalactosamine and galacturonic and glucuronic acids. Polymers extruded by M. mazei are likely quite adhesive in nature, accounting for its strong adherence to surfaces and hardiness compared with many other methanogens.

[1]  S. F. Baron,et al.  Methanosarcina acetivorans sp. nov., an Acetotrophic Methane-Producing Bacterium Isolated from Marine Sediments , 1984, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[2]  H. König,et al.  Isolation and characterization of Methanolobus tindarius, sp. nov., a coccoid methanogen growing only on methanol and methylamines , 1982 .

[3]  C. Rodning,et al.  Technical parameters of immunostaining of osmicated tissue in epoxy sections. , 1979, The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society.

[4]  Zavarzin Ga,et al.  [Comparative cytology of Methanosarcina and a description of Methanosarcina vacuolata n. sp]. , 1979, Mikrobiologiia.

[5]  J. Roth,et al.  Coloidal gold, ferritin and peroxidase as markers for electron microscopic double labeling lectin techniques. , 1978, The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society.

[6]  T C Stadtman,et al.  Methanococcus vannielii: ultrastructure and sensitivity to detergents and antibiotics , 1977, Journal of bacteriology.

[7]  J. Zeikus,et al.  Comparative ultrastructure of methanogenic bacteria. , 1975, Canadian journal of microbiology.

[8]  R. Taylor,et al.  Stoichiometric depolymerization of polyuronides and glycosaminoglycuronans to monosaccharides following reduction of their carbodiimide-activated carboxyl groups. , 1972, Biochemistry.

[9]  W. E. Moeckel,et al.  Identification and quantitation of alditol acetates of neutral and amino sugars from mucins by automated gas-liquid chromatography. , 1971, Analytical biochemistry.

[10]  L. Zamboni,et al.  Silver methenamine stain for electron microscopy. , 1967, Journal of ultrastructure research.

[11]  J. Pickett-Heaps.  PRELIMINARY ATTEMPTS AT ULTRASTRUCTURAL POLYSACCHARIDE LOCALIZATION IN ROOT TIP CELLS , 1967, The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society.

[12]  R. Krause,et al.  IMPROVED TECHNIQUE FOR THE PREPARATION OF STREPTOCOCCAL CELL WALLS , 1964, Journal of bacteriology.

[13]  E. Reynolds.  THE USE OF LEAD CITRATE AT HIGH pH AS AN ELECTRON-OPAQUE STAIN IN ELECTRON MICROSCOPY , 1963, The Journal of cell biology.

[14]  Z. Dische,et al.  A specific color reaction of methylpentoses and a spectrophotometric micromethod for their determination. , 1948, The Journal of biological chemistry.

[15]  O. Kandler,et al.  The primary structure of the glycan moiety of pseudomurein from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. , 1983, Hoppe-Seyler's Zeitschrift fur physiologische Chemie.

[16]  R. Mah.  The methanogenic bacteria, their ecology and physiology. , 1981, Basic life sciences.

[17]  G. Zavarzin,et al.  [Cyst formation by methanosarcina]. , 1979, Mikrobiologiia.

[18]  T. Zhilina.  [Biotypes of methanosarcina]. , 1976, Mikrobiologiia.

[19]  G. Frens.  Controlled Nucleation for the Regulation of the Particle Size in Monodisperse Gold Suspensions , 1973 .

[20]  T. Zhilina.  [Fine structure of methanosarcina]. , 1971, Микробиология.

[21]  A. Spurr.  A low-viscosity epoxy resin embedding medium for electron microscopy. , 1969, Journal of ultrastructure research.

[22]  H. Mollenhauer.  PLASTIC EMBEDDING MIXTURES FOR USE IN ELECTRON MICROSCOPY. , 1964, Stain technology.

[23]  F. Smith,et al.  COLORIMETRIC METHOD FOR DETER-MINATION OF SUGAR AND RELATED SUBSTANCE , 1956 .