Vampirococcus

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Figure 1--Vampirococcus
Vampirococcus cells (red) attached to a Chromatium prey (light green) by the means of electron-dense material [3]

Classification

Higher order taxa

Kingdom: Prokaryotae

  • Domain: Bacteria
    • Phylum: Unknown
      • Class: Unknown
        • Order: Unknown
          • Family: Unknown

As of 2008, "Phylogenetic Analysis of Vampirococcus and Daptobacter has yet to be undertaken...[1]"

Species

  • Genus: Vampirococcus
  • Species: Unknown


Description and significance

Vampriococcus is one of few known predatory prokaryotes. It is a 0.6 micrometer, ovidal bacteria of which no modal forms have been found. It is a gram-negative bacteria that is found in freshwater sulfurous lakes in northern Spain. As an anaerobic epibiont, it attaches itself to the surface of Chromatium a phototropic bacteria, by specific structures, and as it grows and devides by fission, it destroys its prey [2]. The structures used by Vampirococcus to attach itself to its prey could best be described as cytoplasmic "bridges." From these bridges, a connection is established to the prey which allows the Vampirococcus bacterium to degrade the preys cytoplasm [4]


Genomic Structure

"Phylogenetic Analysis of Vampirococcus and Daptobacter has yet to be undertaken (as they have not yet been grown in culture)" [1]. The article goes on to say that Vampirococcus may be related to Deltaproterbacteria and Bdellovibro due to the manor of their growth.


Cell Structure and Metabolism

Vampirococcus attaches itself to the cell wall of species of Chromatium and reproduces while "sucking out" the cellular components of Chromatium[2].


Ecology

Vamprococcus has only been found in lakes in Northeastern Spain, having been studied in Lake Estanya and Lake Ciso. The Lakes are high in calcium sulfate and anhydrite as well as sulfates.



Pathology

Current Research

Cool Factor

Sources

[1] Whitworth, David E. "Myxobacteria [electronic resource] : multicellularity and differentiation" Washington, DC : ASM Press, c2008.

[2] Ricardo Guerrero,Carlos Pedros-Alio Et al. Predatory prokaryotes: Predation and primary consumption evolved in bacteria, Evolution and Microbiology, Vol. 83, pp. 2138-2142, April 1986

[3] Edouard Jurkevitch,Predatory Behaviors in Bacteria—Diversity and Transitions, Microbe Volume 2, Number 2, 2007

[4] Martin, Mark O. Journal of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology. Predatory Prokaryotes: An Emerging Research Opportunity, Vol. 4, Issue 5, pp. 467–477, 2002