Chapter 4 – Prokaryotic Profiles External Structures Flagella
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Chapter 4 – Prokaryotic • Prokaryotes are unicellular organisms Profiles • Prokaryotes include two small groups of Topics: organisms - the archaeobacteria and the –External Structures photosynthetic cyanobacteria plus the large group of true bacteria or eubacteria –Cell Envelope –Internal Structures •Prokaryotes are generally small - in the –Cell Shapes, Arrangement, and range of 0.2 to 2.0 µµµm. However, there are Sizes exceptions. Cyanobacteria may be 60 µµµm long External Structures Flagella • Flagella • Composed of protein subunits • Pili and fimbriae • Role - Motility (chemotaxis) • Glycocalyx • Varied arrangement (ex. Monotrichous, lophotrichous, amphitrichous) • Responsible for swarming in P. aeruginosa 1 Three main parts of the flagella include the basal body, hook, and filament. 3 2 1 There are 4 types of flagellar arrangement in bacteria – important for movement and useful in Mono Lopho diagnosing particular infections Monotrichous Amphitrichous Lophotrichous Peritrichous Amphi Peri The rotation of the flagella enables bacteria Associated with flagella is the to be motile phenomenon of chemotaxis – random ‘tumbles’ followed by directional ‘runs’ Chemotaxis - cells have the capability of responding to chemical attractants 2 Chemotaxis - response to chemical signals Periplasmic flagellum or Axial filament –present in some spirochetes RUN TUMBLE Pili and fimbriae - Pili are formed on certain bacterial cells and are important for • Attachment bacteriophage attachment, conjugation bridges for gene transfer • Mating (Conjugation) (transfer of antibiotic resistance plasmids for example) - Fimbriae are smaller and are important for attachment – E. coli attachment to intestinal cells Pili enable conjugation to occur, which is the transfer of DNA from one bacterial cell to another Fimbriae binding to epithelial cells 3 Glycocalyx – outer coating Slime layer - “Loose” surface on bacteria – 2 types attachment – not very thick – • Capsule virulence factor – Protects bacteria from phagocytosis of biofilms – Streptococcus pneumoniae, Bacillus Capsule - thick – anthracis protection against • Slime layer phagocytosis – – Enable attachment and aggregation of often associated bacterial cells. Source of nutrients? with increased – Most often associated with the biofilm virulence – Griffin’s mode of growth experiments Bacteria Biofilms Cell envelope - the barrier that separates the environment from the 'living' cell • Composed of cell wall, cell membrane and in Gram negative organisms, an outer cell membrane • Cell Wall = PEPTIDOGLYCAN • Cell Membrane = Phospholipids - just us!!! Cell wall - made up of linked N- Structures associated with gram-positive and gram-negative cell walls acetyl glucosamine (NAG) and N-acetyl muramic acid (NAM) • Gram POSITIVE cell wall – Thick peptidoglycan (PG) layer – Acidic polysaccharides – Teichoic acid and lipoteichoic acid • Gram NEGATIVE cell wall – Thin PG layer – Outer membrane – Lipid polysaccharide – Accentuated periplasmic space 4 - Teichoic acid consisting of glycerol, phosphates Cartoon of the NAG and NAM polymers and ribitol is found in polymers in gram-positives . - Outer membrane - found primarily in Gram - Layers of negatives - lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a major alternating NAM and component - also called endotoxin - lipid A is a NAG major component of LPS and causes the toxic - Linkage between events of fever and blood vessel dilation observed in NAM from one layer Gram-negative infections. to the NAM of the other one - Periplasmic space - a gap between the cell membrane and the cell wall - particularly evident in Gram negative bacteria. Linkage of two polymer chains through GRAM NEGATIVE NAM in Gram positive bacteria GRAM POSITIVE Both NAG & NAM have tetrapeptides Nontypical Cell Walls No cell wall = No Peptidoglycan - Mycobacteria - Non Gram positive or Negative - Increased amounts of LIPIDS - Special staining ACID-FAST STAINING • Cell membrane contain sterols for stability - classical example is Mycoplasma - a common cause of atypical pneumonia - on agar, Mycoplasma looks like a 'fried egg' Mycobacteria 5 Cell Membrane • Phospholipid bilayer and integral proteins • Mycoplasma – STEROLS • Function: 1) Selective permeability 2) Energy reactions 3) Synthesis of molecules Scanning electron micrograph of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Internal Structures Cytoplasm • Cytoplasm • Gelatinous solution containing water • Genetic structures (70-80%), nutrients, proteins, and • Endospore genetic material. • Presence of ACTIN-like filaments = Cytoskeleton Prokaryotic Ribosome Genetic material and structures • Single circular bacterial chromosome • Nucleoid • PLASMIDS – Independent circular DNA structures • Ribosomes - 'structures' that have multiple components - responsible for protein synthesis 6 During nutrient depleted conditions, some Storage Bodies bacteria (vegetative cell) form into an endospore in order to survive - NUTRITIONAL SOURCE – Glycogen, - Specific Starch, β- endospore hydroxybutyrate staining techniques - Gas vesicles often make the endospores look like a “safety pin” - Bacillus and Clostridium Endosporulation - a survival mechanism for lean times Cell shapes, arrangements and sizes (RIGID) (Flexible) 7 # # # # Table 4.5 You must know at least 3 features between the 3 domains 8.