Oscillatoria
Classification
Bacteria (Kingdom), Negibacteria (SubKingdom), Cyanobacteria (Phylum), Cyanophyceae (Class), Oscillatoriales (Order), Oscillatoriaceae (Family)
Oscillatoria
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Description and Significance
Oscillatoria is a cyanobacteria that is important because it can conduct photosynthetic activities. It has a long un-braching filamentous morphology and is color green due to the chlorophyll it contains. Some unique features that sets it apart from other cyanobacteria is that it is motile and can conduct anoxygenic photosynthesis. [1] Within its long filamentous structure the cells within it are in the form of discoid and are surrounded by cell wall so it does not require heterocyst. [2]
Structure, Metabolism, and Life Cycle
Oscillatoria is motile and moves by the means of microfibrils. They move in a gliding motion and tend to use this mobility to move towards light. Its gliding motion has a unique feature though, it moves in a oscillatory motion. [4] Oscillatoria has a long un-branching filamentous structure that reproduces by binary fission. [3] This cyanobacteria can conduct photosynthesis just like the other in its phylum but it can also conduct anoxygenic photosynthesis. Meaning that it can still obtain energy in the absence of oxygen, it can obtain it from the reduction of sulfate instead. This energy comes in the form of ATP and can be stored. Culturing this genus is rather easy but the only thing to keep in mind is that they are motile and can die if moved to a region that was not moist. [1]
Ecology and Pathogenesis
Oscillatoria's natural habitat is water. It can be found in a diversity of marine environment for example freshwater, sea or even hot springs. It is not known to be pathogenic but some of its species are capable of secreting anatoxins and microcystins. Anatoxins are known to interfere with the neuron signaling and mycrocystins are known to cause liver bleeding. [3]
References
[1]http://www.microbelibrary.org/library/bacteria/2958-oscillatoria-princeps [2]http://bioref.lastdragon.org/Cyanobacteria/Oscillatoria.html [3]http://filebox.vt.edu/users/chagedor/biol_4684/Microbes/Oscillatoria.htm [4]http://oceandatacenter.ucsc.edu/PhytoGallery/Freshwater/Oscillatoria.html
Author
Page authored by Sue Lao, student of Mandy Brosnahan, Instructor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, MICB 3301/3303: Biology of Microorganisms.
