Morphology and differentiation Flashcards
Gliding Myxobacteria
Large chromosome
Myxococcus xanthus
Complex lifecycle with vegetative and fruiting bodies
-Swarms of cells aggregate requiring intercellular communication, chemotaxis, motility
-Follow slime trails of other bacteria
Cell surface structures -Fimbriae and common pili
Attachment
Allows colonisation, important pathogenic factor
Can allow evasion of a host immune response
F Pili
The sex pilus, of F pilus
Allows bacterial conjugation and horizontal gene transfer
Flagella
Movement - Linked to sensory system allowing chemotaxis and phototaxis
Nano-wires
Recent discovery
Allows transfer of electrons either to external substrate or to another cell
Gleobacter and Shewanella species
Bacterial endospores
Cortex: layers of peptidoglycan
Core: Calcium and dipicolinic acid dehydrates spore also stabilises DNA
Spore coat: made of spore proteins
Small acid soluble proteins (SASPs): bind to DNA to protect from heat and UV Carbon/energy source for germination
Endospore examples
Bacillus thuringiensis - light refractive
Bacillus anthracis - purple - resistant to dyes
Bacillus spore - red
Asymmetric division
Caulobacter crescentus
Filamentation
a. Innate immune cues
b. Predator sensing cues
c. Quorum sensing cues
d. Antimicrobial cues
Main divisions of protozoa
Sporozoa - e.g. Plasmodium in RBC
Flagellates - e.g. Trypanosoma
Amoebae - e.g. Entamoeba
Ciliates - e.g. Balantidium
Giarda
Cyst –> Trophozoite
Fecal-Oral Life cycle