BMCR 60

Microbial Physiology

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The Bacterial Cell: Structures and Functions

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Cell structure
(a) (Left) Diagram of a prokaryotic cell.
(Right) Electron micrograph of
Heliobacterium modesticaldum
(Bacteria, cell is about 1 mm in
diameter) and Thermoproteus
neutrophilus (Archaea, cell is
about 0.5 mm in diameter).

(b) (Left) Diagram of a eukaryotic cell.

(Right) Electron micrograph of a cell
of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
(Eukarya, cell
is about 8 mm in diameter)

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Parts of a 1
4
5
/fimbriae
Bacterial 2

Cell 9 3

6
https://teachthemicrobiome.weebly.com/module-1-the-biology-of-microorganisms.html

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 Bacterial Cell Organization

Cell Envelope Cytoplasmic External

• Plasma membrane Structures Structures
• Cell wall • Cytoskeleton • Fimbriae / Pili
• Capsule / Slime layer • Cell Inclusions • Flagella
• Ribosomes
• Nucleoid
• Plasmids*

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Plasma Membrane

Semi-permeable

Thin, flexible

Composed of phospholipids and proteins

Fluid

Controls the movement of nutrients, wastes across the membrane

Site of some metabolic reactions - production of energy

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 Cell Wall

 Rigid and porous

 Peptidoglycan*
 Gives shape of the cell
 Protects from differences in the
internal and external osmotic
pressure
 Helps to anchor appendages
 May contribute to pathogenicity
 Bacterial CW: G(+) or G(-)

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 Peptidoglycan

Peptidoglycan in Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. (a) No

Structure of the repeating unit in peptidoglycan, the glycan tetrapeptide. interbridge is present in E. coli peptidoglycan nor that of other gram-
The structure given is that found in Escherichia coli and most other gram- negative Bacteria. (b) The glycine interbridge in S. aureus (gram-
negative Bacteria (Brock Biology of Microorganisms) positive). (Brock Biology of Microorganisms)

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Gram-positive Cell Walls
 Composed primarily of
peptidoglycan (~90%)
 May contain teichoic acids
Teichoic Acids
 Composed of glycerol
phosphate or ribitol phosphate
 Covalently bonded to muramic
acid
 Partly responsible for the
negative electrical charge of
the cell surface
 Binds to calcium and
magnesium ions for eventual
transport into the cell
 Lipoteichoic acid – bound to
membrane lipids
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Gram-negative Cell Walls The LPS
Composition:
 lipid A – embedded in the
OM
 core polysaccharide
 O side chain
Functions:
 Contributes to the negative
charge of the cell surface
 Consists of a thin layer of peptidoglycan  Serves as anchor tying the
surrounded by an outer membrane or the OM to peptidoglycan
lipopolysaccharide (LPS) layer  Can act as an endotoxin
 No teichoic acids (lipid A)

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Archaeal Cell Walls

 No peptidoglycan

 No outer membrane

 Of various type, which may contain

polysaccharides, proteins or glycoproteins

 Pseudomurein

 S-layer

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Archaeal Cell Walls

Pseudomurein Peptidoglycan
Backbone N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine and N-
N-acetyltalosaminuronic acetylmuramic acid
acid

Glycosidic β-1,3 β-1,4

bonds
Pseudomurein Amino acids L- stereoisomers D- and L- stereoisomers
of Methanobacterium spp.

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 Archaeal Cell Walls

S-Layer
 Paracrystalline surface layer

 Most common type of CW in

Archaea

 Consists of interlocking molecules

of protein or glycoprotein

 Can form various symmetries, including hexagonal, tetragonal, or

trimeric

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1. What is the relationship of cell wall structure to Gram stain?
2. Do all bacteria have cell wall?

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Capsules and Slime Layers

Jelly-like layer composed of

polysaccharides secreted by Capsules
cell • Thick layer
Functions: • Organized in tight matrix
• Keep the bacterium from • Adhere firmly to the cell wall
drying out
• Protection from Slime layers
phagocytosis • Thin layer
• Virulence factor • Easily deformed
• Adherence to surfaces or • Loosely attached to the
to each other cell wall

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 Bacterial Cytoskeleton

The bacterial cytoplasmic elements

include homologs of the three major types
of eukaryotic cytoskeletal proteins (actin,
tubulin, and intermediate filament
proteins) and a fourth group, the MinD-
ParA group, that appears to be unique to
bacteria.

Function Shih and Rothfield, 2006

• play important roles in cell division,

cell polarity, cell shape regulation,
plasmid partition, and others
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 Cell Inclusions

Electron micrograph of a thin section of Phase-contrast photomicrograph of cells of Bright-field photomicrograph of cells of the
cells of a bacterium containing granules Heliobacterium modesticaldum showing purple sulfur bacterium Isochromatium
of poly-𝛃-hydroxyalkanoates polyphosphate as dark granules buderi containing sulfur globules.

Electron micrograph of a cell of the cyanobacterium

Gleomargarita containing granules of the mineral Transmission electron micrograph of magnetosomes
benstonite [(Ba,Sr,Ca)6Mg(CO3)13] from a magnetic coccus.

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 Ribosome

Ribosomes are tiny spherical

organelles found free in the
cytoplasm

Site of protein synthesis

Composed of two protein

subunits

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 Nucleoid

contains a single long, continuous, and

frequently circularly arranged thread of
double-stranded DNA called the
bacterial chromosome

The control center of the cell; carries all

the information required for the cell’s
structures and functions

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 Plasmids
 Extrachromosomal DNA

 replicate independently of chromosomal DNA

 usually contain from 5 to 100 genes that are

generally not crucial for the survival of the
bacterium under normal environmental
conditions; but may confer advantage to the
host cell

 may carry genes for such antibiotic resistance, tolerance to toxic metals, the production
of toxins, and the synthesis of enzymes

 plasmids may be gained or lost without harming the cell

 used for gene manipulation in biotechnology

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 Fimbriae / Pili
Characteristics Fimbriae Pili
Structure tiny bristle-like fibers hair-like microfibers
Size Shorter and thinner than pili Longer and thicker than fimbriae.
Number 200-400 per cell. 1-10 per cell.
Composition Fimbrillin protein. Pilin protein
Rigidity Less rigid. More rigid than fimbriae.
Found in Both gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Only gram negative bacteria.
Formation Is governed by bacterial genes in the nucleoid region. Is governed by plasmid genes
Function Responsible for cell to surface attachment Responsible for bacterial conjugation (gene
transfer) and attachment
Motility Do not function in active motility. Type IV pili shows twitching type of motility.
Receptors No receptors of other. Serve as receptor for certain viruses
Examples Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella dysenteriae. Escherichia coli, Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Shigella dysenteriae uses its fimbriae to attach to the Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the cause of gonorrhea,
intestine and then produces a toxin that causes uses pili to attach to the urogenital and cervical
diarrhea. epithelium when it causes disease.
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 Flagella

 Long, thin, thread-like appendage

 Attached to the cell membrane
 Number - single, two, or more
 Location - at one end, both ends, all over
cell
 Found only on some bacilli, spirals
 Composed of protein called flagellin
 Responsible for motility

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Myxospores of Myxobacteria

Fruiting bodies of three species of fruiting myxobacteria. (a) Myxococcus fulvus (125
μm high). (b) Myxococcus stipitatus (170 μm high). (c) Chondromyces crocatus (560 μm
high).

A resting spore formed in the

Reading assignment: fruiting bodies of certain
Hartzell, P. L., & White, D. J. (2001). Myxospores. myxobacteria in response to
eLS. doi:10.1038/npg.els.0000307
adverse conditions
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Swarm Cells of Proteus

B) Bright-field microscopy images of the leading edge of a

P. mirabilis swarm colony during migration (left panel) and
consolidation (right panel).

Reading assignment:
Tuson, H. H., Copeland, M. F., Carey, S.,
A) A cartoon of a current model for the P. mirabilis swarming life Sacotte, R., & Weibel, D. B. (2012). Flagellum
cycle (adapted from Soft Matter (12) with permission of the Density Regulates Proteus mirabilis Swarmer
publisher). Vegetative cells in contact with an agar surface Cell Motility in Viscous Environments. Journal
morphologically differentiate into swarm cells, assemble into of Bacteriology, 195(2), 368-
multicellular rafts, and move across the surface cooperatively. 377. doi:10.1128/jb.01537-12
Swarm cells dedifferentiate into consolidated cells.
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Bacterial Endospore

 Endospores are dormant, non-

reproductive and enzymatically
inert forms of bacteria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbDHV7j5-PQ

Reading assignment:
https://www.nature.com/articles/nrmicro2921

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Heterocyst of Anabaena
 Heterocysts are differentiated cells
that are specialized for fixation of
N2 in an aerobic environment.
 Photosystem I generates ATP, but
no photosynthetic production of
02 takes place.
 Reading assignment:
Instead, reductant moves into Golden, J. W., & Yoon, H. S. (2003).
heterocysts from vegetative cells. Heterocyst development in
Anabaena. Current opinion in
microbiology, 6(6), 557-563.
 In return, fixed nitrogen moves from
heterocysts to vegetative cells.
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