PECULIAR MORPHOLOGY OF SOME MICROORGANISMS ACCOMPANYING DIATOMACEAE PRELIMINARY REPORT

Abstract

This preliminary report deals with the morphology of bacteria growing in biocoenosis with a diatomaceae Pinnularia. Electron micrographs of the mixed cultures showed the esistence of: (i) rod-shaped bacteria of usual type, (ii) typical caulobacteria (iii) thin filaments, and (iv) rod-shaped bacteria of usual dimenstions but filled with uniform spherical bodies about 0.1μ in diameter, which were arranged in a regular helical pattern. Significance of the last mentioned phenomenon was discussed suggesting the possibility either of a bacteriophagy or of some sort of cyclogeny, e. g. L-forms of bacteria, or the existence of a hitherto unknown submicrococcus.