Lecture 4

Bacterial structure
(Structures outside
the cell wall)
Saleh Bahaj
Prof. of Medical
Microbiology/Immunology
 Objectives
By the end of this lecture the students will
be able to:-
I) Capsule
II) Flagella
III) Pili
IV) Spore formation
 Bacterial
structure
Structures outside
the cell wall
I) Capsule
 I) Capsule - Definition

Glyco/calyx
carbohydrate enveloped
 I) Capsule - Definition

 Gelatinous
(Viscous) layer
covering cell wall
of some bacteria Extra layer
 I) Capsule - Composition

 Usually Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides
Polypeptides
(B. anthracis)
 I) Capsule - Composition

 Variation of Capsule
Sucrose Mannose Lactose
(Arrangement of Mannose Sucrose Mannose
Polysaccharides) Lactose Sucrose Mannose
e.g. 91 types of
Str. pneumoniae
 I) Capsule - Composition

 Do Not
stained by
Gram stain
Unstained halo
around the organism
 I) Capsule - Composition
 Quellung reaction (swelling)
 I) Capsule - Composition

 Capsule
 Glycocalyx
Slime layer
 I) Capsule - Composition
 Capsule
Firmly adherence to
surface organism
Tightly, organized
bound around all
cell wall
 I) Capsule - Composition
 Glycocalyx
(Slime layer)
Loosely &
unorganized
attached
 I) Capsule - Composition
 Glycocalyx
 Fibrils extending
 It adhere firmly to
skin, heart, etc
 e.g. Strept. mutans Loosely &
unorganized attached
 I) Capsule - Function

A
Protect Cell wall
 Bacteriophage
 Complement
 lysozyme
 I) Capsule - Function

B
Prevent
phagocytosis
(Virulence)
 I) Capsule - Function

 Capsules are
formed in
VIVO ONLY
 I) Capsule - Function

C
Attachment
(Glycocalyx)
Dental caries
 I) Capsule - Function

C
Attachment
(Glycocalyx)
 Prosthetic heart
valves
 I) Capsule - Function

D
Development
of vaccine
 Bacterial
structure
Structures outside
the cell wall
II) Flagella
 II) Flagella - Definition

Long thick threads like

(filamentous), formed
from protein (flagellin)
(H Ag)
 II) Flagella - Definition

 Seen by EM
(20nm)
 II) Flagella - Definition
 Polar
Spiral
 II) Flagella - Definition
Peri/trichous
around

Salmonella typhi
 II) Flagella - Function

Motility

Ring
Proton motive force
 II) Flagella - Function

 The organs of
motility
 II) Flagella - Function
 Tactic response (Taxis)
(Stimulus)
( movement of bacteria
to toward (+ve) or away
(-ve) from stimulating
agent)
 II) Flagella - Function
Stimulating agent
Tactic response
(Taxis)  Chemical
 Light
ChemoTaxis
Photo Taxis
 Axial Filaments

Endoflagella
In spirochetes
 Bacterial
structure
Structures outside
the cell wall
III) Pili
(Fimbriae)
 III) Pili

 Short and thin

Hair like formed
from protein
(Pilin)
 III) Pili

 Seen by EM
 III) Pili

A) Ordinary pili
(Attachment)

B) Sex pili
(Genetic transfer)
 A) Ordinary Pili

Virulence
factor
A) Ordinary Pili
 B) Sex Pili

Long pili
Sex pili!!

Male
F+ F-
Female
Donor
Conjugation Recipient
 Exercise

Compare between
Pili & Flagella
 Exercise
Flagella Pili
1) Structure Short & Thin Long & Thick
Protein (Flagellin) H
2) Nature Protein (Pilin)
Ag
Distribution )3 Around organism Mono - Peri
3) Function *Attachment Movement
*Conjugation (+/-)
 Exercise

Compare between
Ordinary pili & Sex
pilus
 Exercise
Sex pilus Short Pili
1) Arrangement Numerous Single

2)Tall Short Long

Attachment to Attachment to
3) Function host cell bacterial cell for
(Infection) gene transfer
 Exercise

Why the pili considered as

virulence factor?
Attach on host cell and Establish
the infection
 Bacterial
structure
Structures outside
the cell wall
IV) Spore formation
 IV) Spore formation
Vegetative bacteria

Unsuitable condition

Spore formation
(Outside)
 IV) Spore formation
 Forming highly
resistant resting
phase (Endospores)
in VITRO
 Bacillus
 Clostridium
 IV) Spore formation
 Occur to unfavorable
conditions e.g.
 High temp.
 Drying
 Depletion of
nutrition
 IV) Spore formation
 Formed outside the
body (in VITRO)
 Can not stained by
ordinary stain
 IV) Spore formation

 Highly resistant
to dryness, heat
& Disinfectant
 IV) Spore formation

Vegetative Sporulation
Bacillus & Clostridium

Germination
IV) Spore formation
Ca+2 &
Diplconic acid

Multiple membranes
IV) Spore formation

Multiple membranes
Germination
 Position of spores
B. anthracis
Central & Oval
Cl. perfringens
Sub-terminal & Oval
Cl. Tetani
Terminal & Spherical
 Structures outside
the cell wall

Harvesting Questions
 Harvesting Questions
Q1) Bacterial capsule:
A) It’s organ of movement
B) Makes the organism easily phagocytosed
C) It’s an important virulence factor
D) It’s usually polypeptide
 Harvesting Questions
Q2) One of the following is not about Bacterial
spore
A) Spores are resistant to boiling
B) B. chromosome is not present in the spore
C) Are metabolically inactive
D) Formed only by Bacillus & clostridium
 Harvesting Questions
Q3) Structures for attachment
A) Fimbriae (pili)
B) Cell wall
C) Capsule
D) Fimbriae (pili & Capsule)
 Harvesting Questions
Q4) Bacteria are protected from phagocytosis by:-

A) Capsule
B) Peptidoglycan
C) Mesosomes
D) Flagella
 Objectives
By the end of this lecture the students will
be able to:-
I) Capsule
II) Flagella
III) Pili
IV) Spore formation
Th
an
k yo
u