BIOL/CSES 4684

SPIRILLUM

SOIL MICROBIOLOGY

This webpage was created by Scott Squires

1. IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS

Microaerophilic
Rigid Helical Cells
1.4 - 1.7 micrometers in diameter x 14 - 60 micrometers in length
Cells stain gram negative
Motile
Catalase negative
Oxidase positive
Phosphatase positive
The percent G+C is 38%

2. TAXONOMIC DESCRIPTION
Many species have lipid inclusions of poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid which can be seen with the addition of Sudan dyes. They do have sheaths. The contain typical polar flagella and has a distinct corkscrew appearance. The metabolism is microaerophilic, growth is inhibited by normal levels of oxygen. Growth is best at a neutral conditions. This organism is a chemoorganotrophic.

3. ISOLATION AND ECOLOGY
Media for Spirillum is available but culture of some species may be difficult. Many species cannot be plated due to the inability to form colonies on solid media and the inhibitiong affect of normal oxygen concentrations. Colonies are slow growing and are easily overgrown.

These species prefer stagnant freshwater. Some species may live in animal or human blood (S. minor). Spirillum minor is also the cause of one type of rat-bite fever.

4. ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Atlas, R.M. 1993. Handbook of Microbiological Media. CRC Press. Boca Raton, Florida. 1079 pp.

Stolp, Heinz. 1988. Microbial Ecology: Organism Habitat and Activity. Cambridge University Press. New York. 307 pp.

Holt, J.G., N.R. Krieg, P.H.A. Sneath, J.T. Staley, and S.T. Williams. 1994. Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology. Ninth Edition. Williams and Wilkins. Baltimore, Maryland. 787 pp.

Starr, Mortimer, ed. 1981. The Prokaryotes. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. New York. 1101 pp.

5. LINKS TO OTHER SITES ON SPIRILLUM
BIONET