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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2004, p. 6166-6172, Vol. 70, No. 10
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.10.6166-6172.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

"Candidatus Hepatoplasma crinochetorum," a New, Stalk-Forming Lineage of Mollicutes Colonizing the Midgut Glands of a Terrestrial Isopod

Yongjie Wang,1* Ulrich Stingl,2 Friederike Anton-Erxleben,1 Sabine Geisler,1 Andreas Brune,2,3 and Martin Zimmer1

Zoologisches Institut, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, Kiel,1 LS Mikrobielle Ökologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Constance,2 Max-Planck-Institut für terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Marburg Germany3

Received 11 March 2004/ Accepted 13 May 2004

Uncultivated bacteria that densely colonize the midgut glands (hepatopancreas) of the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber (Crustacea: Isopoda) were identified by cloning and sequencing of their 16S rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these symbionts represent a novel lineage of the Mollicutes and are only distantly related (<82% sequence identity) to members of the Mycoplasmatales and Entomoplasmatales. Fluorescence in situ hybridization with a specific oligonucleotide probe confirmed that the amplified 16S rRNA gene sequences indeed originated from a homogeneous population of symbionts intimately associated with the epithelial surface of the hepatopancreas. The same probe also detected morphotypically identical symbionts in other crinochete isopods. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed uniform spherical bacterial cells without a cell wall, sometimes interacting with the microvilli of the brush border by means of stalk-like cytoplasmic appendages, which also appeared to be involved in cell division through budding. Based on the isolated phylogenetic position and unique cytological properties, the provisional name "Candidatus Hepatoplasma crinochetorum" is proposed for this new taxon of Mollicutes colonizing the hepatopancreas of P. scaber.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Zoologisches Institut, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, Olshausenstr. 40, 24098 Kiel, Germany. Phone: 49-431-880-5197. Fax: 49-431-880-4368. E-mail: ywang{at}zoologie.uni-kiel.de.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2004, p. 6166-6172, Vol. 70, No. 10
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.10.6166-6172.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Kostanjsek, R., Strus, J., Avgustin, G. (2007). "Candidatus Bacilloplasma," a Novel Lineage of Mollicutes Associated with the Hindgut Wall of the Terrestrial Isopod Porcellio scaber (Crustacea: Isopoda). Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 5566-5573 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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