Herminiimonas glaciei
Encyclopedia
Herminiimonas glaciei is a species of ultramicrobacterium
in the family Oxalobacteraceae
. These small gram-negative
cells have a variable number of long flagella at the ends and sides of their rod-shaped bodies. With dimensions of 0.5–0.9 by 0.3–0.4 µm
, H. glaciei is roughly 10 to 50 times smaller than Escherichia coli
. Discovered in 2009, the species (as strain UMB49T) was isolated from 120,000 year old glacial ice, 3042 metres (1.9 mi) deep, from Greenland
. It was revived after a long-term incubation—seven months of oxygen
-free growth at 2 °C, followed by growth on agar plate
s at 5 °C for almost five months. DNA sequence
analysis suggests that with a sequence similarity of 99.6%, H. glaciei is most closely related to
H. saxobsidens
, a species originally isolated from lichen
-colonized rock. Loveland-Curtze, head of the team of scientists from Pennsylvania State University
who found the species, speculates that it may offer insight into the existence of organisms in extraterrestrial habitats.
; the average cell has a volume of 0.043 µm3. They have long flagella, either 1 or 2 at either end of the cell, and may also have 1 to 3 more along the sides. Although the original colony pigmentation is brown-purple, regrowth on agar plate
s (made using tryptic soy agar with glucose), colonies
are circular with an entire edge, convex, smooth, and translucent white to tan colored. This species can grow at temperatures between 1–35 °C, with the optimal growth temperature being 30 °C. At this temperature, the bacteria has a doubling time
of four hours when grown in in tryptic soy broth without glucose. H. glaciei is resistant to a number of antibiotics: ampicillin
, bacitracin
, chloramphenicol
, ciprofloxacin
, penicillin
, nalidixic acid
, rifampicin
, streptomycin
and vancomycin
. Its growth is inhibited by the antibiotics gentamicin
, neomycin
and tetracycline.
Ultramicrobacteria
Ultramicrobacteria are bacteria that are considerably smaller than normal bacterial cells and are 0.3 to 0.2 micrometres in diameter. This term was first used in 1981, to refer to cocci in seawater that were less than 0.3 μm in diameter. These cells have also been recovered from soil and appeared...
in the family Oxalobacteraceae
Oxalobacteraceae
The Oxalobacteraceae are a family of bacteria, included in the order Burkholderiales. Like all Proteobacteria, Oxalobacteraceae are gram-negative. The Family includes strict aerobes, strict anaerobes, and also nitrogen-fixing members....
. These small gram-negative
Gram-negative
Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that do not retain crystal violet dye in the Gram staining protocol. In a Gram stain test, a counterstain is added after the crystal violet, coloring all Gram-negative bacteria with a red or pink color...
cells have a variable number of long flagella at the ends and sides of their rod-shaped bodies. With dimensions of 0.5–0.9 by 0.3–0.4 µm
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
, H. glaciei is roughly 10 to 50 times smaller than Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms . Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls...
. Discovered in 2009, the species (as strain UMB49T) was isolated from 120,000 year old glacial ice, 3042 metres (1.9 mi) deep, from Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. It was revived after a long-term incubation—seven months of oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
-free growth at 2 °C, followed by growth on agar plate
Agar plate
An agar plate is a Petri dish that contains a growth medium used to culture microorganisms or small plants like the moss Physcomitrella patens.Selective growth compounds may also be added to the media, such as antibiotics....
s at 5 °C for almost five months. DNA sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
analysis suggests that with a sequence similarity of 99.6%, H. glaciei is most closely related to
H. saxobsidens
Herminiimonas saxobsidens
Herminiimonas saxobsidens is a species of ultramicrobacteria. First reported in 2007, it was isolated from a rock surface colonized with lichens....
, a species originally isolated from lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
-colonized rock. Loveland-Curtze, head of the team of scientists from Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
who found the species, speculates that it may offer insight into the existence of organisms in extraterrestrial habitats.
Description
H. glaciei cells are small, gram-negative, thin rods, with dimensions of 0.5–0.9 by 0.3–0.4 µmMicrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
; the average cell has a volume of 0.043 µm3. They have long flagella, either 1 or 2 at either end of the cell, and may also have 1 to 3 more along the sides. Although the original colony pigmentation is brown-purple, regrowth on agar plate
Agar plate
An agar plate is a Petri dish that contains a growth medium used to culture microorganisms or small plants like the moss Physcomitrella patens.Selective growth compounds may also be added to the media, such as antibiotics....
s (made using tryptic soy agar with glucose), colonies
Colony (biology)
In biology, a colony reference to several individual organisms of the same species living closely together, usually for mutual benefit, such as stronger defense or the ability to attack bigger prey. Some insects live only in colonies...
are circular with an entire edge, convex, smooth, and translucent white to tan colored. This species can grow at temperatures between 1–35 °C, with the optimal growth temperature being 30 °C. At this temperature, the bacteria has a doubling time
Doubling time
The doubling time is the period of time required for a quantity to double in size or value. It is applied to population growth, inflation, resource extraction, consumption of goods, compound interest, the volume of malignant tumours, and many other things which tend to grow over time...
of four hours when grown in in tryptic soy broth without glucose. H. glaciei is resistant to a number of antibiotics: ampicillin
Ampicillin
Ampicillin is a beta-lactam antibiotic that has been used extensively to treat bacterial infections since 1961. Until the introduction of ampicillin by the British company Beecham, penicillin therapies had only been effective against Gram-positive organisms such as staphylococci and streptococci...
, bacitracin
Bacitracin
Bacitracin is a mixture of related cyclic polypeptides produced by organisms of the licheniformis group of Bacillus subtilis var Tracy, isolation of which was first reported in 1945....
, chloramphenicol
Chloramphenicol
Chloramphenicol is a bacteriostatic antimicrobial that became available in 1949. It is considered a prototypical broad-spectrum antibiotic, alongside the tetracyclines, and as it is both cheap and easy to manufacture it is frequently found as a drug of choice in the third world.Chloramphenicol is...
, ciprofloxacin
Ciprofloxacin
Ciprofloxacin is a synthetic chemotherapeutic antibiotic of the fluoroquinolone drug class.It is a second-generation fluoroquinolone antibacterial. It kills bacteria by interfering with the enzymes that cause DNA to rewind after being copied, which stops synthesis of DNA and of...
, penicillin
Penicillin
Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They include penicillin G, procaine penicillin, benzathine penicillin, and penicillin V....
, nalidixic acid
Nalidixic acid
Nalidixic acid is the first of the synthetic quinolone antibiotics...
, rifampicin
Rifampicin
Rifampicin or rifampin is a bactericidal antibiotic drug of the rifamycin group. It is a semisynthetic compound derived from Amycolatopsis rifamycinica ...
, streptomycin
Streptomycin
Streptomycin is an antibiotic drug, the first of a class of drugs called aminoglycosides to be discovered, and was the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis. It is derived from the actinobacterium Streptomyces griseus. Streptomycin is a bactericidal antibiotic. Streptomycin cannot be given...
and vancomycin
Vancomycin
Vancomycin INN is a glycopeptide antibiotic used in the prophylaxis and treatment of infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. It has traditionally been reserved as a drug of "last resort", used only after treatment with other antibiotics had failed, although the emergence of...
. Its growth is inhibited by the antibiotics gentamicin
Gentamicin
Gentamicin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic, used to treat many types of bacterial infections, particularly those caused by Gram-negative organisms. However, gentamicin is not used for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis or Legionella pneumophila...
, neomycin
Neomycin
Neomycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that is found in many topical medications such as creams, ointments, and eyedrops. The discovery of Neomycin dates back to 1949. It was discovered in the lab of Selman Waksman, who was later awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and medicine in 1951...
and tetracycline.