GENERAL INTRODUCTION
There are two well known sources of energy for bacteria. They
are: i) energy of oxidation/reduction processes; ii) energy of
visible light. I'd like to discuss three sources of energy more:
polymerisation of sulphur droplets, UV-light, and intracellular
magnetic inclusions. Last time (28 Sept 1995) I've sent to net the
data on sulphur polymerisation.
II. USE OF UV-LIGHT
1. At least two groups of anaerobic microorganisms are known
which have cell components producing specific biochemical reaction
with UV-light. They are some methanogenic archaebacteria and some
sulfate-reducing bacteria. For example, desulfoviridin is
distributed between Desulfovibrio species and works for transport of
electrons (Postgate J.R. The sulphate-reducing bacteria. Cambridge:
Cambridge Univ.Press, 1984, 208 p.)
2. By modern publications on evolution of life, the most
ancient groups of microorganisms are anaerobic microorganisms
(including sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogens). The reasons
are: i) data on 16s-sequence, and ii) the idea that ancient
atmosphere contained no oxygen. Well, the last one means also the
high penetration of UV-light to the Earth surface.
3. I've tried to prove a suggestion that Desulfovibrio species
could co-use energy of UV-light. It was a lot of technical work:
preparation of special medium, pre-growing of strains, use of quartz
glass, germetization, etc. Our experiments with Dr.H.Hippe (German
Collection of Microorganisms) failed because we used the UV-lamps
for sterilization as source of UV-light. (They have a "wrong" linear
spectrum.) At least we (in co-operation together with my colleague
Dr.A.Galoushko) got positive results using a spectropotometr modified
as the source of UV-light. The results were reaction of cytochrome C
measured with Shimadzu UV-160A. The reaction was reliable but very
slight because the volume of illuminated/irradiated biomass - by
technical reasons - was up to 3 % of total volume only.
4. I'll be much obliged to person who will comment the topic or
will co-operate with experiments. Recently I'm not subscribed to
"bionet.microbio...",- kindly use my e-mail address:
vain at ibpm.serpukhov.su
TO MY REGRET
it was one remark only after my first message on unstudied
sources of energy for bacteria (I. Sulphur polymerisation). Have I
chosen a wrong net for microbiological discussion?
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Dr.Mikhail Vainshtein
Curator of bacteria of VKM; IBPhM, Russ.Acad.Sci., Pushchino;
Assistant Professor, Pushchino State University.
