Abstract
Most photosynthetic microorganisms have the capability of photosensing light quality and intensity. Movement of motile photosynthetic microorganisms to locales that offer optimal physical and chemical conditions for light-dependent growth provides obvious selective advantages. Among phototrophs, many cyanobacteria and algae migrate towards or away from the direction of light, a process termed phototaxis. In contrast, anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria are believed to respond to changes in light intensity in a manner that is not related to the direction of light, a process that is often described by the term “photophobic”. We recently reported that “swarm colonies” of the purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum centenum are capable of macroscopically visible phototactic behavior. In the present study we further characterize the phototactic behavior of R. centenum swarm colonies and provide an action spectrum that delineates regions of the spectrum that elicit positive and negative phototaxis.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alberti L, Harshey BM (1990) Differentiation of Serratia marcescens 274 into swimmer and swarmer cells. J Bacteriol 172: 4322–4328
Allen R, Bauman P (1971) Structure and arrangements of flagella in species of the genus Beneckea and Photobacterium fischeri. J Bacteriol 107:295–302
Armitage JP (1991) Photoresponses in Eubacteria. In: Lenci F, Ghetti F, Colombetti G, Häder D-P, Song P-S (eds) Biophysics of photoreceptors and photomovements in microorganisms. Plenum Press, New York London, pp 43–52
Armitage JP, Evans MCW (1981) The reaction centre in the phototactic and chemotactic response of photosynthetic bacteria. FEMS Microbiol Lett 11:89–92
Armitage JP, Ingham C, Evans MCW (1985) Role of proton motive force in phototactic and aerotactic responses of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides. J Bacteriol 161:967–972
Buder J (1917) Zur Kenntnis der phototaktischen Richtungsbewegungen. Jahrbüch wissen. Botanik 58:105–220
Engelmann TW (1883) Bacterium photometricum. Ein Beitrag zur vergleichenden Physiologie des Licht-und Farbensinnes. Arch Gesam Physiol Mensch Tiere 30:95–124
Favinger J, Stadtwald R, Gest H (1989) Rhodospirillum centenum, sp. nov., a thermotolerant cyst-forming anoxygenic photosynthetic bacterium. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 55:291–296
Häder D-P (1987) Photosensory behavior in procaryotes. Microbiol Rev 51:1–21
Häder D-P (1991) Phototaxis and gravitaxis in Euglena gracilis. In: Lenci F, Ghetti F, Colombetti G, Häder D-P, Song P-S (eds) Biophysics of photoreceptors and photomovements in microorganisms. Plenum Press, New York London, pp 203–222
Harayama S, Iino T (1977) Phototaxis and membrane potential in the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum. J Bacteriol 131:34–41
Hegeman P (1991) Photoreception in Chlamydomonas. In: Lenci F, Ghetti F, Colombetti G, Häder D-P, Song P-S (eds) Biophysics of photoreceptors and photomovements in microorganisms. Plenum Press, New York London, pp 223–230
Henrichsen J (1972) Bacterial surface translocation: a survey and a classification. Bacteriol Revs 36:478–503
Madigan MT (1988) Microbiology, physiology, and ecology of phototrophic bacteria. In: Zehnder AJB (ed) Biology of anaerobic microorganisms, John Wiley, New York, pp 39–111
McCarter L, Hilmen M, Silverman N (1988) Flagellar dynameter controls swarmer cell differentiation of V. parahaemolyticus. Cell 54:345–351
Noguchi T, Hayashi H, Tasumi M (1990) Factors controlling the efficiency of energy transfer fromcarotenoids to bacteriochlorophyll in purple photosynthetic bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta 1017:280–290
Nultsch W (1991) Survey of photomotile responses in microorganisms. In: Lenci F, Ghetti F, Colombetti G Häder D-P, Song P-S (eds) Biophysics of photoreceptors and photomovements in microorganisms. Plenum Press, New York London pp 1–5
Ragatz L, Jiang Z-Y, Bauer C, Gest H (1994) Phototactic purple bacteria. Nature 370:104
Smith H (1982) Light quality, photoperception, and plant strategy. Ann Rev Plant Physiol 33:481–518
Stadtwald-Demchick R, Turner FR, Gest H (1990) Physiological properties of the thermotolerant photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodospirillum centenum. FEMS Microbiol Lett 67:139–144
Yildiz FH, Gest H, Bauer CE (1991a) Genetic analysis of photosynthesis in Rhodospirillum centenum. J Bacteriol 173:4163–4170
Yildiz FH, Gest H, Bauer CE (1991b) Attenuated effect of oxygen on photopigment synthesis in Rhodospirillum centenum. J Bacteriol 173:5502–5506
Yildiz FH, Gest H, Bauer CE (1992) Conservation of the photosynthesis gene cluster in Rhodospirillum centenum. Mol Microbiol 6:2683–2691
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ragatz, L., Jiang, ZY., Bauer, C.E. et al. Macroscopic phototactic behavior of the purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum centenum . Arch. Microbiol. 163, 1–6 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00262196
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00262196