Exploring the Microbial World

Microorganisms, tiny titans of the earth

Microbial community

Microbial cells
 Microorganisms and the Biosphere

Microbial abundance:
- Number of cells on Earth:~ 2 X 1030
- Total amount of nitrogen and
phosphorus: 4 times that in all animal
and plant cells
- Represent 31% of the total DNA in the
A brief history of life on earth biosphere
The impact of microorganisms on human society

Microorganisms as agents of disease

Death rates for the leading causes of death in the United State
The impact of microorganisms on human society
Microorganisms and Agriculture
The impact of microorganisms on human society
Microorganisms and Human Nutrition

The human gastrointestinal tract

The impact of microorganisms on human society
Microorganisms and Food

Foodborne pathogens Foodborne illness

Food spoilage

Fermented food
The impact of microorganisms on human society
Microorganisms and Food

Foodborne pathogens Foodborne illness

Food spoilage

Fermented food
The impact of microorganisms on human society
Microorganisms and Industry

Ethanol as a biofuel
 Microscopy

The van Leeuvenhoek microscope (1676)

Robert Hook, early microscopy,

and Micrographia (1665)
Microbial cultivation expands the horizon of Microbiology

Pasteur and spontaneous generation

Microbial cultivation expands the horizon of Microbiology

Koch, Infectious diseases and Pure Cultures

Microbial cultivation expands the horizon of Microbiology
Koch and Pure Cultures

A hand-colored photograph taken

by Walther Hesse of colonies
formed on agar.

Koch and Tuberculosis

Rrobert Koch’s drawings of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
(a) Section through infected lung tissue
showing cells of M. tuberculosis (blue).
(b) M. tuberculosis cells in a sputum
sample from a tubercular patient. (c)
Growth of M. tuberculosis on a glass
plate of coagulated blood serum stored
inside a glass box to prevent
contamination. (d) M. tuberculosis cells
taken from the plate in c and observed
microscopically; cells appear as long,
cordlike forms.
Molecular biology and the unity and diversity of life
Molecular basis of life

Early evidence that DNA is the molecular basis of heredity. (a) Griffith’s experiment, (b) The Avery–
MacLeod–McCarty experiment.
Woese and the tree of life

Early efforts to depict the universal tree of life.

 Woese and the tree of life

Evolutionary relationships and the phylogenetic tree of life. (a) The technology behind ribosomal RNA gene
phylogenies, (b) The phylogenetic tree of life.
Microbial cell structure and function
Structure of microbial cells
Cells of Bacteria and Archaea
Cell morphology

The major morphologies of Prokaryotic cells

Cell size

Epulopiscium fishelsoni. Thiomargarita namibiensis

Two very large bacteria Surface-to-volume ratio

The cytoplasmic membrane
The cytoplasmic membrane

Phospholipid bilayer membrane

Major lipids of Archaea

and the achitecture of
archaeal membrane
Bacterial cell wall: peptidoglycan
Bacterial cell wall: peptidoglycan
LPS: The outer membrane
Archaeal cell walls

Pseudomurein The S-layer

Cell surface structures

Fimbriae

Pili

Bacterial capsules and slime formation

Hami
 SHAPE Size Amount Function
FLAGELLA Whip-like 15-20 µm one to several locomotion
filamentous hundred
structures
Fimbriae Bristle-like 0.03-0.14 µm 200-400 Surface
short fibers attachment
Pili Long hair like 0.5-2 µm 1-10 Gene transfer
tube and attachment
Cell inclusions

Polyphosphate and sulfur storage products

Magnetosome

Carbon storage polymer:

Poly-ß-hydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)
Gas vesicles

Buoyant cyanobacteria and gas vesicles

Spore

The life cycle of an endospore-forming bacterium Endospore structure

Spore
Cell locomotion
Flagella, archaella and swimming motility

Flagella Archaella

Gliding motility
Chemotaxis and Phototaxis
Chemotaxis

Measuring chemotaxis using a capillary tube assay

Phototaxis

Phototaxis of an entire colony of the purple phototrophic

bacterium Rhodospirillum centenum.
Erkaryotic Microbial Cells
The nucleus
Mitochondria Hydrogenosomes

Chloroplasts
Endoplasmic reticulum The Golgi complex

Lysosome
Cytoskeleton Flagella and Cilia
Microbial metabolism
Cell nutrition

Macronutrients: C (50%); O, H (25%), N (13%); P, S, Se, Na, K,… (<5%)

Micronutrients: trace metals, growth factors (vitamins, amino acids…) à enzyme cofactors
Active transport

Group translocation
Mechanism of the phosphotransferase system of E. coli

The 3 classes of active transport systems

Simple transport ABC system

Energy classes of microorganisms

Heterotrophs Autotrophs
 Principles of bioenergetics
Free Energy of Formation (Gf0): the energy released or required during the formation of a given
molecule from the elements

Free Energy changes (ΔG0’):

Reaction:
ΔG0’ negative: exergonic (free energy released)
ΔG0’ possitive: endergonic (free energy required)
 Catalysis and enzyme

Some nonprotein molecules interact with enzymes

that participate in catalysis:
- Prosthetic groups: tightly bind to enzymes
(covalently and permanently)
- Coenzymes: loosely and transiently bind to
enzymes
Catabolism: Glucolysis
Catabolism: Fermentation
Catabolism: respiration

Name:
Citric acid cycle (CAC)
Tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle
Krebs cycle

Functions:
- glucose respiration coupled
to energy conservation
- the biosynthesis of key
metabolites
Catabolism: respiration
Glycoxylate cycle
Electron transport chain
ATP synthase
Biosyntheses: sugars and polysaccharides
Sugar metabolism

Pentose phosphate pathway

Biosyntheses: Amino acids and nucleotides
Amino acid families

Biosynthesis of purines and pyrimidines

Biosyntheses: Fatty acids

ACP: acyl carrier protein

The biosynthesis of the C16 fatty acid palmitate