Fresh species bacteria that act as electric wiring Recently discovered on the salty beach in Oregon. The species has been named Elektrothrix Yaqonensis candidate In honor of the tribe of native Americans Yaquina, which once lived in the bay of Yaquina and around her, where bacteria were found.
This species is a kind of cable bacteria: rod -shaped microorganisms, which are connected at both ends to create a chain and which have an outer membrane, creating fibers with a length of several centimeters. Cable bacteria are found in sea and freshwater sediments, and they are extremely electrically conducted among bacteria. This is due to their special metabolism, in which electrons produced by oxidation of sulfides in their deeper layers are sent to their surface layer, where they are collected by oxygen and nitric acid.
25 species of cable bacteria known to date have been organized in two types, Elektrothrix candidatewhich live in salt water and Electronic candidatewhich live in fresh and salty water. The novel species discovered in this study has metabolic genes and routes of both types, but it is believed to be a bridge for an earlier branch Elektrothrix candidate The line, and therefore was classified as part of this kind.
Recently discovered species can provide novel information on the evolution of cable bacteria and how they can function in various environments, cheng li, post -ate researcher at Oregon State University and research co -author, explained in a statement.
High electrical conductivity
Elektrothrix Yaqonensis candidate In its appearance, it differs from existing cable bacteria. Cable bacteria have external shells containing ridges that spread like mountains. The ridges of novel species are much thicker than the species of previously known species, reaching an average thickness of about 228 nanometers, up to three times thicker than what they saw earlier. The ridges of the novel species are arranged in a spiral pattern on the surface of the filament, and their overall shape is more angular than other species.
But the most striking difference is that the fiber of the novel species is surrounded by a hefty, see-through cover. According to the authors of the article presenting the discovery, this is a structure that has not been seen before. This cover does not run electricity and is believed that it protects the fiber against the environment and foreign enemies.