Thiomargarita magnifica

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Classification

Bacteria (Domain);Proteobacteria (Phylum);Gammaproteobacteria (Class); Thiotrichales (Order); Thiotrichaceae (Family); Thiomargarita (Genus) (1)

Species

Thiomargarita Magnifica (1)

Description and Significance

Thiomargarita magnifica is characterized of large Thiromargarita cells and is gram-negative (). It is found in tropical marine coastal environments and is found to be 1cm in length. Thiomargarita magnifica is important for antibiotic production, evolution, the tree of life, and the sulfur cycle (2).

Genome Structure

DNA in Thiomargarita magnifica is concentrated in membrane bound compartments. These membrane bound organelles which contain the DNA are called “pepin.” Thiomargarita magnifica has a genome as large as baker’s yeast, as it contains three times the median gene count for prokaryotes. Additionally, it contains a large set of genes for sulfur oxidation and carbon fixation.

Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle

Thiomargarita magnifica does chemosynthesis, which means this microbe gets its energy from converting organic compounds into organic matter as a source of energy. This microbe has a dimorphic life cycle, meaning that it creates an asymmetric segregation of chromosomes into daughter cells (3).

Ecology and Pathogenesis

Thiomargarita magnifica is found in tropical marine coastal environments. They grow on sediments at the bottom bodies of water containing sulfure, where they use both sulfur and oxygen to make sugars. Due to their size compared to other microbes in their environemnt, the bacteria does not have many predators. It has not been found to cause disease, although, it could within the immunocompromised (3).

References

1. JGI IMG. 2022. Cand. Thiomargarita magnifica 72 v.2. IMG. https://img.jgi.doe.gov/cgibin/m/main.cgi?section=TaxonDetail&page=taxonDetail&taxon_oid=2956002012

2. JGI Gold. 2022. Study Information. JGI. https://gold.jgi.doe.gov/study?id=Gs0149408

3. Volland JM, Gonzalez-Rizzo S, Gros O, et al. A centimeter-long bacterium with DNA contained in metabolically active, membrane-bound organelles. Science. 2022;376(6600):1453-1458. doi:10.1126/science.abb3634

Author

Page authored by Grace Handle, student of Prof. Bradley Tolar at UNC Wilmington.