Morphology and structure of bacteria

Prof. Marianna Murdjeva, MD, PhD

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Medical University-Plovdiv Lecture course micro 2013/2014 winter term

Bacterial Morphology
Shape Size Cell arangement Gram staining

 Round (cocci)
staphylococci, streptococci diplococci (pneumococci, meningococci)

Bacterial shape

Rod-shaped (rods)
non-spore forming (M. tuberculosis, C. diphtheriae) spore-forming (bacilli) - clostridia, B. anthracis

Spiral (spirilli)
vibrios (V. cholerae) 1 curve spirilli (Helicobacter) 2 curves spirochaetes: Treponema,
Leprospira, Borrelia many curves

Cell arrangement
Single monococci Pairs
diplococci (pneumococci, meningococci) diplobacteria (Klebsiella)

Tetrads (sarcina) Chains (streptococci, B. anthracis) Clusters (staphylococci)

Bacterial size
Measurement in micrometers (m) Small (0.2-0.3 m). haemophillus, brucella Medium (0.5-2 m). staphylococci, streptococci, E. coli Large (3-10 m). Clostridia, B. anthracis

Procaryotic cell structures

Bacterial structure
Cell envelope = cell wall (CW)+cytoplasmic membrane (CM) Cytoplasmic components: - core material (nucleoid) N
- ribosomes (Ri) - inclusions

External structures
- capsule - flagella and pilli - spores Essential (obligatory) organels - CW, CM, N, Ri Non-essential (additional) organels capsule, flagella, pilli, spores

Cell envelope =
CW+ CM
Cell wall (CW)
Peptidoglycan: 1. glycan part:
N-acetyl glucosamine N-acetyl muramic acid -1,4 glycoside link

2. peptide part

CW in Gram (+) bacteria

Thicker PG layer Presence of teichoic acids Variety of aminoacids Lack or small amount of lipids Surface proteins
protein (S. aureus) M protein (S. pyogenes)

CW in Gram (-) bacteria

Thinner Absence of teichoic acids More lipids Less aminoacids Presence of outer membrane (OM)
Ag, LPS and core oligosacharide. LPS Ag and toxic properties. Lipid (endotoxin). Endotoxic shock. Periplasmic space. Porins. S and R (w/o g) colonies.

The three major, covalently linked regions that form the typical LPS

Function of CW in B
Protection protects CM from destruction (the high intracellular pressure) Gives the shape (skeletal structure) of B due to PG Osmotic barrier Ag and pathogenic properties Target for lyzozyme, penicillins and cephalosporins

Atypical CW
Some bacterial groups lack typical cell wall structure i.e. Mycobacterium and Nocardia
Gram-positive cell wall structure with lipid mycolic acid (cord factor)
pathogenicity and high degree of resistance to certain chemicals and dyes basis for acid-fast stain used for diagnosis of infections caused by these microorganisms

Some have no cell wall i.e. Mycoplasma

cell structure is stabilized by sterols pleomorphic

Damage to Cell Wall

Lysozyme digests disaccharide in peptidoglycan. Penicillin inhibits peptide bridges in peptidoglycan.

Cytoplasmic membrane (CM ) of B

Three-layered Target for lipid-dissolving agents and some antibiotics (Polymyxin and Nistatin) Lack of inner membranes: no endoplasmic reticulum, around lysosomes and mitochondria, Goldi apparatus

Function of bacterial CM
Respiratory (mitochondrial) equivalent Selective permeability Particpation in peptidoglycan synthesis and formation of penicillin-binding proteins, necessary for linkage with some antibiotics Participation in chromosome replication and large plasmids

Bacterial mesosomes
Organels, formed by CM invagination Functions:
respiratory (mitochondrial) equivalent coordination of core material division and cytoplasm during binary fission of bacteria

Cytoplasm and cytoplasmic components of B

Ribosomes difference with Eu Inclusions:
volutine (diphtherial bacteria) glycogen (enteric bacteria) others

Core (nucleoid)- a single DNA molecule Extra-chromosomal genetic elements (plasmids, bacteriophages)

Non-essential structures
Capsule Flagella Pilli Spores

Capsule
Real (S. neumoniae, B. anthracis), slime (S. mutans), microcapsule (S. typhi) Structure polysaccharide (S. pneumoniae) polypeptide (B. anthracis) Staining (Klett, Neuffeld) Function: protection (virulence factor) Ag properties (K Ag)

 Structure 3 parts: - filament long, thin, helical structure composed of protein flagellin - hook- curved sheath - basal body stack of rings firmly anchored in cell wall Composition protein (flagellin)
Function

Flagella

motion virulence factor antigenic receptor

Types of flagella

b a

a one-polar flagella (lophotrichous) b whole surface (peritrichous) c bipolar flagella (amphitrichous) d single flagella (monotrichous)

Pilli (fimbriae)
Types common (adhesins) sex (participate in conjugation) Composition - protein (pillin=fimbrillin) Function: adhesion to cells (gonococci, E. coli) participation in conjugative transfer Ag properties (F Ag)

Bacterial spores
Formation at high temperature or dehydration Structure and composition less water, thicker wall Types:
according to location in the cell: central (B. anthracis), terminal(. tetani), subterminal (C. perfringens) according to shape: round or oval according to their capacity to deform the cell: deforming (Clostridium) and non-deforming (B. anthracis)

Sporulation

Methods for studying bacterial structure

Microscopic Native Staining
simple (Loffler, Pfeiffer) complex (Gram, Neisser, Zhiel-Neelsen, Moller, Klett)

Hans Gram (1853 1923) Pharmacologist and pathologist Copenhagen

Acid-fast Cell Walls

Genus Mycobacterium and Nocardia mycolic acid (waxy lipid) covers thin peptidoglycan layer Do not stain well with Gram stain use acidfast stain

Microscopy: The Instruments

Brightfield Microscopy

Darkfield Microscopy
Light objects visible against dark background. used to enhance the contrast in unstained samples. Instrument of choice for spirochetes

Simplest of all the optical microscopy illumination. techniques Dark objects are visible against a bright background.

Electron Microscopy: Detailed Images of

Cell Parts
Uses electrons, electromagnetic lenses, and fluorescent screens Electron wavelength ~ 100,000 x smaller than visible light wavelength Specimens may be stained with heavy metal salts Two types of EMs:?

Recommended literature
Todars Online Textbook of Bacteriology site: textbookofbacteriology.net Medical Microbiology Edited by Samuel Baron http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7627/ Microbiology and Immunology On-line http://www.microbiologybook.org