Institute for Microbiology, Medical Faculty of Masaryk University and St. Anna Faculty Hospital in Brno Miroslav Votava MORPHOLOGY AND STRUCTURE OF BACTERIAL CELL The 2nd lecture for 2nd-year students February 23, 2015 Objects of the Medical Microbiology – revision a)Pathogenic microbes (causing diseases of human beings or animals) b)Normal microflora (microbes commonly present in healthy persons or animals) c)Mutual relationship between microbes and their hosts (how we defend themselves against the microbes or how we utilize their presence) d)Relationship between microbes and the environment (including methods how to eradicate the microbes) Different objects and sections of microbiology – revision • •bacteria bacteriology •micromycetes (moulds • & yeasts) mycology •(algae) (algology) •parasites parasitology –protozoa protozoology –helminths helminthology –arthropods entomology •viruses virology • •General microbiology × special microbiology • “Must-knows” about microbes for an E mark – revision •Pathogenicity • 1. Which diseases or syndromes does the microbe in question cause? • 2. How are they called in Latin? •Etiology • 3. Which microbe is the etiological agent of the infectious disease in question? • 4. Which microbes (bacteriae, yeasts, moulds, viruses or parasites) are the most important causes of the syndrome in question? •Treatment • 5. What is the treatment of choice? • 6. If it is an antibotics, which one? • Shape of bacteria – I •Spherical shape: cocci • regular sphere: staphylococci • flattened: gonococci, meningococci • pointed (lancet-like): pneumococci •Elongated shape: rods • straight: majority (e.g. Escherichia coli) • short (coccobacilli): acinetobacters • long (fibers): mainly old cultures • slender: Mycobacterium tuberculosis • robust: majority of bacilli, lactobacilli, Clostridium perfringens • (to be continued) • Shape of bacteria – II •(rods, continued:) • with split ends: bifidobacteria • branched: nocardiae, actinomycetes • curved: vibria, campylobacters • with flat ends: Bacillus anthracis • spindle-shaped: fusobacteria • club-shaped: corynebacteria • pleomorphic: haemophili Shape of bacteria – III •Spirals: • thick: Spirillum • • uneven: Borrelia • • regular: Treponema • • slender with bend ends: Leptospira Size of bacteria •Pathogenic bacteria: mainly around 1 – 5 μm (1 μm = 10-3 mm) •Genus Staphylococcus: the diameter circa 1 μm •Relatively big: genera Bacillus and Clostridium (robust rods around 1 – 2 × 10 μm) •Relatively long: old cultures of most rods • (fibers up to 50 μm long) •Relatively small: genus Haemophilus (in the sputum approximately 0.3 × 0.6 μm) •Even smaller: rickettsiae (circa 0.5 μm) chlamydiae (elementary bodies circa 0.3 μm) mycoplasmas (circa 0.2 – 0.25 μm ) Arrangement and shape of cocci a)in clumps: Staphylococcus aureus b)in chains: Streptococcus pyogenes c)lancet-like diplococci: Streptococcus pneumoniae d)flattened diplococci: Neisseria gonorrhoeae e)cocci in tetrads: Micrococcus luteus f) obr_2a Arrangement and shape of rods – I a)absolute majority of rods: e.g. Escherichia coli b)delicate streptobacilli: Haemophilus ducreyi c)coccobacilli in pairs or diplobacilli: Moraxella lacunata d)robust rods, rounded ends: Clostridium perfringens e)robust rods, flat up to concave ends, bamboo cane-like chains: Bacillus anthracis obr_2b Arrangement and shape of rods – II • f) club-like in palisades: Corynebacterium diphtheriae •g) slender, in hinted palisades: Mycobacterium tuberculosis •h) branched, fragmented: Nocardia asteroides • i) spindle-like: Fusobacterium fusiforme • j) minute, pleomorphic: Haemophilus influenzae • obr_2b Curved and spiral rods •a) curved rods, crescent-shaped: Vibrio cholerae •b) thick spirals: Spirillum minus •c) uneven spirals: Borrelia recurrentis •d) delicate, regular spirals: Treponema pallidum •e) very fine spirals with bent ends: Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae • obr_2c Outline of bacterial cell capsule cytoplasmic membrane bacterial cell wall fimbriae nucleoid ribosomes plasmids granula vacuole flagellum Bacterial cell wall •G+ G– • lipoteichoic acid O-antigen lipopoly- • inner polysaccharide saccharide • lipid A (endotoxin) • murein • (peptido- • glycan) • porin • outer • membrane • lipoprotein • periplasmatic • space • • innner membrane •cytoplasmic membrane (G+) (G–) Gram staining • G+ G– 1.Fixation by flame 3 times 2.Gram stain 20 s 3.Lugol solution 20 s 4.Alcohol max. 20 s 5.Aqua fontis rinse 6.Safranin 1 min 7.Aqua fontis rinse 8.Drying Basis of Gram-positiveness •Rather a puzzle – but it is connected with the structure of cell wall • •The 1st theory: •Thick peptidoglycane (murein) layer contracts after the alcohol and slows down the washing of crystal violet and iodine complex out of Gram-positive cells •The 2nd theory: •Cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria contains more lipids, therefore the alcohol forms pores in the wall and the colored complex can be washed out easier Examples of G+ and G– microbes •Gram-positives • •Staphylococcus •Streptococcus •Bacillus •Lactobacillus •Clostridium •Listeria •Corynebacterium •yeasts and moulds • •Gram-negatives • •Escherichia •Salmonella •Vibrio •Haemophilus •Pseudomonas •All spirals •Mycoplasma •rickettsiae & chlamydiae Sensitivity to antibiotics •Effect mostly •on Gram-positives: • •beta-lactams (penicillin, • oxacillin = methicillin) •macrolides (erytromycin) •lincosamides (lincomycin) •glycopeptides (vancomycin) • • • •Effect mostly •on Gram-negatives: • •aminoglycosides (gentamicin) •monobactams (aztreonam) •polypeptides (colistin) •3rd gen. cephalosporins • (cephtriaxon) Recommended reading material •Paul de Kruif: Microbe Hunters •Paul de Kruif: Men against Death • •Could you kindly supply me with another work in connection with microbes or at least medicine? •Please mail me your suggestions at: •mvotava@med.muni.cz • •Thank you for your attention • •