Morphology & Cell Biology of

Bacteria
Siti Sarah Jumali (ext 2123)
Room 3/14
sarah_jumali84@hotmail.com

The basic morphology of a cell

the

1. The Cell Membrane

Phospholipid bilayer: 2 surface layers of hydrophilic
of polar head and inner layer of hydrophobic
nonpolar tail.
Peripheral proteins: Function as enzyme scaffold for
support and mediator for cell movement
Integral proteins: disrupting lipid bilayer. Other types
known as transmembrane protein
Glycoprotein: protein attached to the carbohydrate
Glycolipid: Lipid attached to carbohydrate

Membrane structure
Fluid mosaic model

Characteristics of Lipid bilayer

Semi-permeable
Consists of : 1) hydrophilic
2) hydrophobic
Main function is to:
Protect cell (as outercovering)
Keep the things that are on the inside
of a cell inside, and keep what things
are outside the cell on the outside.
It allows some things, under certain
situations, to cross the phospholipid
bilayer to enter or exit the cell.

Function of the Cell Membrane

Protective outer covering for the cell.

Cell membrane anchors the cytoskeleton (a cellular 'skeleton' made of
protein and contained in the cytoplasm) and gives shape to the cell.
Responsible for attaching the cell to the extracellular matrix (non living
material that is found outside the cells), so that the cells group together to
form tissues.
Transportation of materials needed for the functioning of the cell
organelles without using cellular energy.
The protein molecules in the cell membrane receive signals from other
cells or the outside environment and convert the signals to messages, that
are passed to the organelles inside the cell.
In some cells, the protein molecules in the cell membrane group together to
form enzymes, which carry out metabolic reactions near the inner surface
of the cell membrane.
The proteins help very small molecules to get transported thru cell
membrane, provided, the molecules are traveling from a region with lots of
molecules to a region with less number of molecules.

The cell membrane

Lies between two dark
line
Prokaryote have less
sterol as compared to
the eukaryote, causing
rigid structure
Less-sterol wall in
prokaryote is
Mycoplasma

Lipid bilayer of
plasma membrane

Taken with TEM

2. The bacterial cell wall

Has peptidoglycan
Marks the difference between gram
+ve and gram ve bacteria

Peptidoglycan
Polymer of disaccharide
Also known as murein,
is a polymer consisting of sugars and
amino acids that forms a mesh-like
layer outside the plasma membrane
of bacteria (but not Archaea),
forming the cell wall.
The sugar component consists of
alternating residues of Nacetylglucosamine (NAG) and Nacetylmuramic acid (NAM).
Attached to the N-acetylmuramic
acid is a peptide chain of three to five
amino acids.

3. Cell wall of Gram negative and

positive
Gram negative

Gram positive

Thin peptidoglycan

Thick peptidoglycan

Has outer membrane

Teichoic acid

Periplasmic space
Tetracycline sensitive

Penicillin sensitive

4 ring basal body

2-ring basal body

Disrupted by lysozyme

Disrupted by endotoxin

Gram positive and Gram negative

Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial cell walls

A, Gram positive bacterium thick

peptidoglycan layer contains
teichoic and lipoteichoic acids.
B, Gram negative bacterium thin
peptidoglycan layer and an outer
membrane that contains
lipopolysaccharide, phospholipids,
and proteins. The periplasmic
space between the cytoplasmic and
outer membranes contains
transport, degradative, and cell
wall synthetic proteins. The outer
membrane is joined to the
cytoplasmic membrane at adhesion
points and is attached to the
peptidoglycan by lipoprotein links.

Peptidoglycan in Gram positive bacteria

Linked by polypeptides

Gram positive bacterial cell wall

Teichoic acid
- Lipoteichoic acid links to plasma membrane
- Wall teichoic acid links to peptidoglycan
May regulate movement of cations
Polysaccharides provide antigenic variation

Gram negative bacterial cell walls

Gram negative bacteria outer membrane

Lipopolysacharides, lipoproteins, phospholipids
Forms the periplasm between the outer membrane
and the plasma membrane
Protection from phagocytes, complement and
antibiotics
O-polysaccharide antigen e.g. E. coli O157:H7
Lipid A is an endotoxin
Porins (proteins) form channel through membrane

The Gram stain Mechanism

Crystal violet-iodine crystals form in cell
Gram positive
- Alcohol dehydrates peptidoglycan
- CV-I crystals do not leave
Gram negative
- Wall is lesser or
- Wall is made up of pseudomurein (lack NAM
and D-amino acids)

Acid-fast organisms are difficult to characterize

using standard microbiological techniques (e.g.
Gram stain - if you gram stained an AFB the result
would be an abnormal gram positive organism,
which would indicate further testing), though they
can be stained using concentrated dyes, particularly
when the staining process is combined with heat.
Once stained, these organisms resist the dilute acid
and/or ethanol-based de-colorization procedures
common in many staining protocolshence the
name acid-fast.

Atypical Cell Wall

Acid-fast cell wall
- e.g gram positive
- Waxy lipid (mycolic acid) bound to
peptidoglycan
- Mycobacterium
- Nocardia

Atypical Cell Wall

Mycoplasmas
- Lack cell walls
- Sterols in plasma membrane
Archaea
-Wall-less or Wallas of pseudomurein (lack
Nam and D-amino acids)

Cell Wall-less Forms

Few bacteria are able to live or exist without a cell wall.
The mycoplasmas are a group of bacteria that lack cell wall.
Mycoplasmas have sterol-like molecules incorporated into their
membranes and they are usually inhabitants of osmotically-protected
environments.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the cause of primary atypical bacterial
pneumonia, known in the vernacular as "walking pneumonia". For
obvious reasons, penicillin is ineffective in treatment of this type of
pneumonia. Sometimes, under the pressure of antibiotic therapy,
pathogenic streptococci can revert to cell wall-less forms (called
spheroplasts) and persist or survive in osmotically-protected tissues.
When the antibiotic is withdrawn from therapy the organisms may
regrow their cell walls and reinfect unprotected tissues.

Damage to the cell wall

(Gram ve): Lysozyme digests disaccharide in
peptidoglycan
(Gram +ve): Penicillin inhibits peptide bridges in
peptidoglycan
Protoplast is a wall-less cell
Spheroplast is a wall-less gram positive cell
- Protoplasts and spheroplasts are susceptible to osmotic lysis
L forms are wall-less cells that swell into irregular
shapes

External structures
Many bacteria have structures that extend
beyond or surround cell wall
I. Flagella and pili extend from the cell
membrane through the cell wall and beyond
II. Capsules and slime layers surround the cell
wall

4. Bacterial Cell Surface Structures

Arrangements of Bacterial Flagella
1. Monotrichous: Bacteria with a single flagellum
located at one end (pole)
2. Amphitrichous: Bacteria with 2 flagella one at
each end
3. Peritrichous: Bacteria with flagella all over the
surface
4. Atrichous: Bacteria without flagella
5. Cocci shaped bacteria rarely have flagella

Polar Monotrichous flagellum

Vibriocholerae

Amphitrichous flagella arrangement

Spirillum

Lophotrichous flagella arrangement

Spirillum

Structure of flagella in gram ve and +ve bacteria

Chemotaxis
Bacteria move away or towards subtances that
are present in the environment through a
nonrandom process
1. Positive chemotaxis: movement towards
attractants (nutrients)
2. Negative chemotaxis: movement away from
the repellent

Chemotaxis

Chemotaxis

Pili
Pilus (singular)
Tiny hollow projections
Used to attach bacteria to surfaces
Not involved in movement
1. Long conjugation
2. Short attachment pili (fimbriae)

E. coli (14,300X)

Glycocalyx
Capsule & Slime Layer
Used to refer to all polysaccharide/polypeptide
containing substances found external to cell
wall
1. Capsule
2. Slime layers
3. All bacteria at least have thin small layer

5. Glycocalyx
Capsule
More firmly attached to the cell wall.
Have a gummy, sticky consistency and
provide protection & adhesion to solid
surfaces and to nutrients in the environment.
Bacteria that possess capsules are considered
encapsulated, and generally have greater
pathogenicity because capsules protect
bacteria, even from phagocytic white blood
cells of the immune system.
The adhesive power of capsules is also a
major factor in the initiation of some
bacterial diseases.

Slime Layer
A glycocalyx is considered a
slime layer when the
glycoprotein molecules are
loosely associated with the
cell wall. Bacteria that are
covered with this loose
shield are protected from
dehydration and loss of
nutrients.

Capsule
Protective structure outside the cell wall of the
organism that secretes it
Only certain bacteria are capable of forming
capsules
Chemical composition of each capsule is
unique to the strain of bacteria that secrete it
Encapsulated bacteria are able to evade host
defense mechanism (phagocytosis)

Slime Layer
Less tightly bound to the cell wall and is
usually thinner than the capsule
Protects the cell against drying, traps nutrients
and binds cells together (biofilms)

Biofilms
A microbial community that usually forms slimy layer or
hydrogel on a surface
Bacteria attracted by chemicals via quorum sensing
Composed of populations or communities of
microorganisms adhering to environmental surfaces.
The microorganisms are usually encased in extracellular
polysaccharide that they synthesize.
Can be found in sufficient moisture is present.
Their development is most rapid in flowing systems
where adequate nutrients are available

Biofilms
Biofilm usually begins
to form when free
swimming bacterium
attaches to a surface
Share nutrients
Shelter from harmful
factors

Thoughts for the day..

What is the biofilm that forms on teeth called?

Case Study
Delayed Bloodstream Infection Following
Catheterization
Patients with indwelling catheters received
contaminated heparin with Pseudomonas
fluorescens
Bacterial numbers in contaminated heparin
were too low to cause infection
84421 days after exposure, patients
developed infections

Questions?

Functions Of The Bacterial Envelope

Function
Structural Rigidity
Packaging Of Internal Contents
Permeability Barrier
Metabolic Uptake
Energy Production
Adhesion To Host Cells

Component(s)
All.
All.
Outer membrane or plasma
membrane.
Membranes and periplasmic
transport
proteins, porins, permeases.
Plasma membrane.
Pili, proteins, teichoic acid.

Immune Recognition By Host

All outer structures.

Escape From Host Recognition

Capsule, M protein.

Antibiotic Sensitivity

Peptidoglycan synthetic enzymes.

Antibiotic Resistance
Motility
Mating
Adhesion

Outer membrane.
Flagella.
Pili.
Pili.