This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dinsdale, D. Articles by Bacon, J. S. D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dinsdale, D. Articles by Bacon, J. S. D. Agricola Articles by Dinsdale, D. Articles by Bacon, J. S. D.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1978 July; 36(1): 160-168
Copyright © 1978 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Electron Microscopy of the Microbial Populations Present and Their Modes of Attack on Various Cellulosic Substrates Undergoing Digestion in the Sheep Rumen

D. Dinsdale, E. Jane Morris and J. S. D. Bacon

The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB, United Kingdom

ABSTRACT

Cotton fibers and various cell wall preparations from grass leaves and from the feces of sheep fed on dried grass were placed in the sheep rumen in bags made from 5-µm-mesh nylon cloth. After periods of from 3 to 48 h, bags were removed, and the contents were fixed, embedded, sectioned, and stained for electron microscopy. Some of the bacteria present were seen to be closely associated with the cell walls, either tunneling within them or making very close contact. Evidence was obtained for differential digestion of cell walls and of the layers within them. Distinct differences were noticed between bacterial populations attacking the more susceptible wall types and those attacking feces cell walls and cotton fibers. Among the latter, the dominant form was a long, thin rod with a typical gramnegative cell wall structure, different from that described for Bacteroides succinogenes S85 or for Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens.

Present address: National Chemical Research Laboratory, Pretoria, 0001, Republic of South Africa.