Bacteria in Nature: Volume 3: Structure, Physiology, and Genetic Adaptability PDF
Preview Bacteria in Nature: Volume 3: Structure, Physiology, and Genetic Adaptability
BACTERIA IN NATURE Volume 3 Structure, Physiology, and Genetic Adaptability BACTERIA IN NATURE Editors Edward R. Leadbetter Jeanne S. Poindexter The University ofConnecticut Long Island University Storrs, Connecticut Brooklyn Campus Brooklyn, New York EditorialAdvisoryBoard Albert Balows J. Gijs Kuenen Centersfor Disease Control Delft University ofTechnology L. E. Casida,Jr. Barbara B. Lippincott The Pennsylvania State University Northwestern University Richard W. Castenholz R. G. E. Murray University ofOregon University ofWestern Ontario Patricia H. Clarke Monica Riley University College, London State University ofNew York Martin Dworkin at Stony Brook University ofMinnesota Moshe Shilo M. V. Ivanov Hebrew University, USSR Academy ofScience Hadassah Medical School Holger W. Jannasch Ralph S. Wolfe Woods Hole Oceanographic University ofIllinois Institution David M. Karl University ofHawaii Volume1 BacterialActivitiesinPerspective Volume2 MethodsandSpecialApplicationsinBacterialEcology Volume3 Structure, Physiology, andGeneticAdaptability BACTERIA IN NATURE Volume 3 Structure) Physiology) and Genetic Adaptability Edited by Jeanne S. Poindexter LongIsland University Brooklyn Campus Brooklyn, New York and Edward R. Leadbetter The University ofConnecticut Storrs, Connecticut PLENUM PRESS • NEW YORK AND LONDON LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublication Data (Revisedforvol.3) Bacteriainnature. Volume1haseditors'namesreversed. Includesbibliographiesandindexes. Contents: v. l. Bacterial activities in perspective-v. 2. Methods and special ap plicationsinbacterialecology-v.3.Structure,physiology,andgeneticadaptability l. Bacteria- Ecology- Collectedworks. 2. Bacteria- Collectedworks. 1. Leadbet ter,EdwardR. II.Poindexter,JeanneS.OeanneStove). QRI00.B33 1985 589.9'05 85-3433 ISBN-13: 978-1-46\2-8090-3 e-ISBN-13:978-1-46\3-0803-4 00\: 10.1007/978-1-4613-0803-4 Coverillustration: Detailedviewofbacterial activities inasaltmarsh, drawn by N. Hamlettofthe Department of Biology, SwarthmoreCollege, whileat the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts. ©1989PlenumPress, New York Softcoverreprintofthehardcover1stedition1989 ADivisionofPlenumPublishingCorporation 233 SpringStreet, New York, N.Y. 10013 All rights reserved Nopartofthisbook maybe reproduced, stored inaretrievalsystem, or transmitted inany form orbyany means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, orotherwise, without written permission from the Publisher PREFACE TO THE TREATISE The effects of bacteria on their environments were known and variously explained by human societies long before these microorganisms were recognized. Even after they had been detected microscopically, nearly two centuries elapsed before it was demonstrated that bacteria were causes, rather than effects, offermentations, infectious diseases, and transformationsofbothorganicand inorganic materials insoils, waters, andsediments. It was thesedemonstrationsoftheecologicalrolesofbacteriathatgave birthtobacteriology as an experimental science. Theapplicationsofthe understandingofecological activities ofbacteria have in no small part been responsible for this century's revolution in human health and longevity through changes in agricultural, medical, and sanitation practices. However, theecologyofbacteriahasonlyrelativelyrecentlyemergedasasciencein itself, having as its goal the elucidation ofthe interactions of bacteria and their habitats whetheror not those activities appear immediately relevant to human affairs. In this ten volume treatise, it is our intention to present this broadened view of bacterial existence, that the work may serve as a synthesis of current ideas and information that will be valuable bothtobasic scientistsand tothosedirectlyengagedinapplicationsofscienceto specificproblemsofhumanexistence. Ourhope isthat thecompletedprojectwillexpose and explore the diversity of bacterial capabilities and culpabilities, limitations and sen sitivities, and will imply the equally diverse ways in which they can be exploited. We hope, especially, that investigators trained in other disciplines-clinicians, oceanogra phers, molecular biologists, engineers-who may not expect that their disciplines are interrelated with bacterial ecology, will find this treatise both stimulating and valuable. The introductory volume traced main points in the history ofbacteriology that have led to the present state of bacterial ecology, to the awareness that bacteria constitute distinctivepopulationsthatseparatelyandinconcertaffectthephysiochemicalconditions ofthe biosphere and interact, sometimes intimately, with other organisms. The second volume reviewed and evaluated the technical and philosophical tools presently available tothestudentofbacteriain nature. Itwas intendedtoprovideevaluationsofmethodsand not to serve as a procedural manual. Although the initial stimulusto interestin bacteriaarosefrom attemptstounderstand naturalphenomenaandtodistinguishabioticfrombioticcausesofthesephenomena,most of the progress in managing and learning about bacteria has been accomplished in the laboratory, very largely through the study of pure cultures. While some devoted natu ralists eschew the study of monotypic populations as artificialities, it would not be possibletounderstandtheactivitiesofabacterialcommunityinignoranceoftheseparate, respective potential activities of the members of the community. For this reason, this volume and the following volume will comprise information regarding structure, com- v VI PREFACE TO THE TREATISE poSItIon, genetics, physiology, and biochemistry of bacteria, obtained predominately from pure culture studies, that is essential to unraveling the interactions ofbacteria with theirenvironmentandwitheachother. Thegoalofthosevolumesis notsimplytoreview the information, but to demonstrate its importance to inferences based on studies of natural, polytypic populations. The remaining six volumes in this series will explore bacterial habitats. Because a bacterial activity ofany type-polymer solubilization, oxygen consumption, toxin pro duction, orother-is notconfined to onetype ofhabitat, we anticipate thatsomegroups of bacteria and some bacterial activities will be mentioned in more than one ecological context. However, since the emphasis throughout the series will be on interactions, the role ofthe habitat in influencing the extent and consequence of bacterial activities will varywithitsowninherentstability, itsresiliencetotheeffectsofbacteria, anditscapacity for supporting and restricting those activities. An additional reason for organizing the treatise principally around habitats reflects the fact that human problems and advantages that arise from bacterial activities are most often met within the context of a particular kindofsite. Similarly, thegeneralecologicalsignificanceofabacterialactivityispropor tional to the rate ofactivity allowed by a habitat, the geographical extent ofthe habitat, andthedegreeofdependenceofotherformsoflifeontheconditionofthehabitataffected bythatactivity. Accordingly, forallconceptualandpracticalpurposesotherthanclassifi cation, thestudyofbacterialecologyis, webelieve, mostusefullypresentedbygrouping the information into volumes that reflect the manner in which bacterial communities are gathered and interact in nature. The treatise will conclude with aconsiderationofthefrontiers and the relic habitats ofthebiosphere,thoseenvironmentsinhabitedalmostsolelybybacteria. Modembiology recognizes bacteria as the pioneering populations-demonstrably so in the past and pre dictably so in the future-ofthis and possibly also ofother worlds. It is the humble yet confidenthopeoftheeditorsthattheinsightsandexperimentalresultsoftoday'sbacterial ecologists, compiled in these volumes, will contribute significantly to the continuing elucidation of the roles and potentials of our bacterial cohabitants-so long a major influence on this earth, yet only so recently appreciated. This series was conceived partly as a result ofourparticipation as instructors in the summerprogramin microbialecologyatthe MarineBiologicalLaboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Our interests in bacterial ecology antedate that participation by many years, having been earlier stimulated and guided by R. A. Slepecky and I. W. Foster (E.R.L.), by W. A. Konetzka and R. Y. Stanier (I.S.P.), and by one of the greatest appreciators of microorganisms, C. B. van Niel. To our colleagues-students and fac ulty-in the M.B.L. course, and to our several,mentors, we dedicate this series. The Editors CONTRIBUTORS T. J. BEVERIDGE,DepartmentofMicrobiology, CollegeofBiologicalScience, University ofGuelph, Guelph, Ontario. Canada N1G 2W1 STANLEYDAGLEY,DepartmentofBiochemistry, CollegeofBiologicalSciences. Univer sity ofMinnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108 EDWIN A. DAWES, Department ofAppliedBiology, University ofHull, Hull, England HU67RX DONALDG. LUNDGREN, BiologyDepartment, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13210 JACK PREISS, Department ofBiochemistry. Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1319 WILLIAM S. REZNIKOFF, Department ofBiochemistry, College ofAgricultural andLife Sciences, University ofWisconsin, Madison. Wisconsin 53706 MONICA RILEY, BiochemistryDepartment, State University ofNew YorkatStonyBrook, Stony Brook. New York 11794 vu PREFACE The value ofstudies ofmonotypic populations is constantly argued in bacterial ecology. Thecontroversyitselfisevidenceofthestrongawarenessthatbacterialactivitiesinnatural sites are not determined by the bacteria alone. At the same time, the best evidence that bacteriaare influenced byenvironmentalfactors is the contrastbetween theirbehaviorin laboratory cultures and their relatively subdued influence when in the presence ofcom petitors, predators, andfluctuating-often stressful-environmental conditions. Monotypic populationsareadmittedlyreductionist, butare nottherefore irrelevantto bacterial ecology. Quitethe contrary. Without pureculture studies, our understanding of important and applicable bacterial activities-Nzfixation, for example-would still be limited to what we could discern from a comparison ofevents in steamed vis-a-vis un heated soil. As was evident throughout the previous volume in this treatise, practically any method of studying natural bacterial communities upsets them while permitting only limitedassessmentofthe respectivequalities and quantitativecontributions to total com munityactivityofeachtypeofbacteriumpresent. Totalactivityitselfisdifficulttoassess and is not dependably accomplished by any single method. This third volumecomprises informationregarding the propertiesofbacteriaas they have been learned largely from pure culture studies. Its purpose is twofold: to provide readers with fundamental information regarding the cellular organization, physiological capabilities, and genetic systems of bacteria; and to connect known bacterial properties with environmental influences on them and with their influences on natural processes. Included are a generously illustrated presentation ofthe diversity ofbacterial struc ture (Chapter I) and anextensivediscussion ofbacterial growth and ofsurvival when the environment does not support growth (Chapter 2), followed by a detailed description of the metabolismofbacterial "foresight" in theaccumulationofreserve nutrients (Chapter 3). Chapters 4 and 5 are expositions of bacterial exploitation of two energy resources: organic materials, and inorganic substances. The volume concludes with two chapters concerned with genetic interactions with environmental demands, within a few genera tions and over the course ofthe earth's history-and future. As awhole, this volume presents bacteriaas minute butcomplex livingsystemsthat have brought adiversityofabiotic processes under life's control and added strictlybiotic versions to natural transformations. In doing so, bacteria-in response to changing en vironments-havegeneratedawealthofheritableinformation, includinginformationthat provides genetic mechanisms for further diversificationofboth organization and physio logic capabilities. ix x PREFACE The editors wish to express their gratitude to those authors whose chapters were updatedduringtheprolongedpreparationofthisvolumeforpublication,andtoDr. Nancy Hamlett for providing for the cover one ofher artistic renderings ofbacteria in nature. The Editors
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