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. 1980 Mar;141(3):1399–1408. doi: 10.1128/jb.141.3.1399-1408.1980

Ultrastructure of a magnetotactic spirillum.

D L Balkwill, D Maratea, R P Blakemore
PMCID: PMC293838  PMID: 6245069

Abstract

The ultrastructure of a magnetotactic bacterium (strain MS-1) was examined by transmission, scanning, and scanning-transmission electron microscopy. The organism resembled other spirilla in general cell morphology, although some differences were detected at the ultrastructural level. Electron-dense particles within magnetotactic cells were shown by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis to be localizations containing iron. A non-magnetotactic variant of strain MS-1 lacked these novel bacterial inclusion bodies. A chain of these particles traversed each magnetotactic cell in a specific arrangement that was consistent from cell to cell, seemingly associated with the inner surface of the cytoplasmic membrane. Each particle was surrounded by an electron-dense layer separated from the particle surface by an electron-transparent region. The term "magnetosome" is proposed for the electron-dense particles with their enveloping layer(s) as found in this and other magnetotactic bacteria.

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