Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Collection and Enrichment of Magnetotactic Bacteria from the Environment

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Bacteria-Metal Interactions

Abstract

We describe a relatively inexpensive and effective method for collecting magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) from the field. This protocol relies on the use of simple magnets. A clear plastic container can be used to collect sediment and water from a natural source, such as a freshwater pond. In the Northern hemisphere, the south end of a bar magnet is placed against the outside of the container just above the sediment at the sediment-water interface. After some time, the bacteria can be removed from the inside of the container near the magnet with a pipette and then enriched further by using a capillary racetrack and a magnet. In the racetrack, a sterile cotton plug is used to separate magnetic versus non-magnetic cells as the MTB swim through the cotton towards a magnet placed at the opposite end of the racetrack. Once enriched, the presence of MTB can be confirmed by using the hanging drop method and a light microscope to observe MTB swimming in response to the north or south end of a bar magnet. Higher resolution can be obtained by depositing a drop of enriched MTB onto a copper grid and observing the microorganisms with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Using this method, isolated MTB may be studied microscopically to determine characteristics such as swimming behavior, type and number of flagella, cell morphology, shape of the magnetic crystals, number of magnetosomes, number of magnetosome chains in each cell, composition of the crystals, and presence of intracellular vacuoles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Balkwill DL, Maratea D, Blakemore RP (1980) Ultrastructure of a magnetotactic spirillum. J Bacteriol 141:1399–1408

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Baumgartner J, Morin G, Menguy N, Perez Gonzalez T, Widdrat M, Cosmidis J, Faivre D (2013) Magnetotactic bacteria form magnetite from a phosphate-rich ferric hydroxide via nanometric ferric (oxyhydr)oxide intermediates. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110:14883–14888

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bazylinski DA (1996) Controlled biomineralization of magnetic minerals by magnetotactic bacteria. Chem Geol 132:191–198

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bazylinski DA (1995) Structure and function of the bacterial magnetosome. ASM News 61:337–343

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bazylinski DA, Frankel RB (2003) Biologically controlled mineralization in prokaryotes. In: Dove PM, DeYoreo JJ, Weiner S (eds) Reviews in mineralogy and geochemistry—biomineralization, vol 54. Mineralogical Society of America, Geochemical Society, pp 217–247

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bazylinski DA, Frankel RB (2004) Magnetosome formation in prokaryotes. Nat Rev Microbiol 2:217–230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Bazylinski DA, Frankel RB, Heywood BR, Mann S, King JW, Donaghay PL, Hanson AK (1995) Controlled biomineralization of magnetite (Fe3O4) and greigite (Fe3S4) in magnetotactic bacterium. Appl Environ Microbiol 61:3232–3239

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bazylinski DA, Frankel RB, Jannasch HW (1988) Anaerobic magnetite production by a marine, magnetotactic bacterium. Nature 334:518–519

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Bazylinski DA, Frankel RB, Konhauser KO (2007) Modes of biomineralization of magnetite by microbes. Geomicrobiol J 24:465–475

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Bazylinski DA, Garratt-Reed AJ, Frankel RB (1994) Electron microscopic studies of magnetosomes in magnetotactic bacteria. Microsc Res Tech 27:389–401

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Bazylinski DA, Garratt-Reed DA, Abedi AJ, Frankel RB (1993) Copper association with iron sulfide magnetosomes in a magnetotactic bacterium. Arch Microbiol 160:35–42

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Bazylinski DA, Schubbe S (2007) Controlled biomineralization by and applications of magnetotactic bacteria. Adv Appl Microbiol 62:21–62

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Blakemore R (1975) Magnetotactic bacteria. Science 190(4212):377–379

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Blakemore RP (1982) Magnetotactic bacteria. Annu Rev Microbiol 36:217–238

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Chang S-BR, Kirschvink JL (1989) Magnetofossils, the magnetization of sediments, and the evolution of magnetite biomineralization. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci 17:169–195

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Clemett SJ, Thomas-Keprta KL, Shimmin J, Morphew M, McIntosh JR, Bazylinski DA, Kirschvink JL, Wentworth SJ, McKay DS, Vali H, Gibson EK, Romanek CS (2002) Crystal morphology of MV-1 magnetite. Am Mineral 87:1727–1730

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Devouard B, Posfai M, Hua X, Bazylinski DA, Frankel RB, Buseck PR (1998) Magnetite from magnetotactic bacteria: size distributions and twinning. Am Mineral 83:1387–1398

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Dunin-Borkowski RE, McCartney MR, Frankel RB, Bazylinski DA, Posfai M, Buseck PR (1998) Magnetic microstructure of magnetotactic bacteria by electron holography. Science 282:1868–1870

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Fdez-Gubieda ML, Muela A, Alonso J, Garcia-Prieto A, Olivi L, Fernandez-Pacheco R, Barandiaran JM (2013) Magnetite biomineralization in Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense: time-resolved magnetic and structural studies. ACS Nano 7:3297–3305

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Frankel R, Bazylinski D, Johnson M, Taylor B (1997) Magneto-aerotaxis in marine coccoid bacteria. Biophys J 73:994–1000

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Frankel R, Bazylinski D, Schuler D (1998) Biomineralization of magnetic iron minerals in bacteria. Supramol Sci 5:383–390

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Frankel RB (1984) Magnetic guidance of organisms. Annu Rev Biophys Bioeng 13:85–103

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Frankel RB, Bazylinski DA (2003) Magnetosome mysteries. ASM News 70:176–183

    Google Scholar 

  24. Frankel RB, Bazylinski DA (2003) Magnetosomes: nanoscale magnetic iron minerals in bacteria. In: Niemeyer CM, Mirkin C (eds) Nanobiotechnology: concepts, applications and perspectives. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, pp 136–145

    Google Scholar 

  25. Frankel RB, Bazylinski DA (2009) Magnetosomes and magneto-aerotaxis. In Collin M, Schuch R (eds) Bacterial sensing and signaling, vol 16, pp 182–193

    Google Scholar 

  26. Frankel RB, Bazylinski DA, Johnson MS, Taylor BL (1997) Magneto-aerotaxis in marine coccoid bacteria. Biophys J 73:994–1000

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Frankel RB, Williams TJ, Bazylinski DA (2006) Magneto-aerotaxis. In: Schüler D (ed) Magnetoreception and magnetosomes in bacteria. Springer, Berlin, pp 1–24

    Google Scholar 

  28. Frankel RB, Zhang JP, Bazylinski DA (1998) Single magnetic domains in magnetotactic bacteria. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 103:30601–30604

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Gorby YA, Beveridge TJ, Blakemore RP (1988) Characterization of the bacterial magnetosome membrane. J Bacteriol 170:834–841

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Hanzlik M, Winklhofer M, Petersen N (1996) Spatial arrangement of chains of magnetosomes in magnetotactic bacteria. Earth Planet Sci Lett 145:125–134

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Heywood BR, Bazylinski DA, Garrattreed A, Mann S, Frankel RB (1990) Controlled biosyntheisis of greigite (Fe3S4) in magnetotactic bacteria. Naturwissenschaften 77:536–538

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Jimenez-Lopez C, Romanek CS, Bazylinski DA (2010) Magnetite as a prokaryotic biomarker: a review. J Geophys Res-Biogeosci 115

    Google Scholar 

  33. Jogler C, Lin W, Meyerdierks A, Kube M, Katzmann E, Flies C, Pan Y, Amann R, Reinhardt R, Schüler D (2009) Toward cloning of the magnetotactic metagenome: identification of magnetosome island gene clusters in uncultivated magnetotactic bacteria from different aquatic sediments. Appl Environ Microbiol 75(12):3972–3979

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Komeili A, Li Z, Newman DK, Jensen GJ (2006) Magnetosomes are cell membrane invaginations organized by the actin-like protein MamK. Science 311:242–245

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Lefèvre CT, Bazylinski DA (2013) Ecology, diversity, and evolution of magnetotactic bacteria. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 77:497–526

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Lefèvre CT, Frankel RB, Abreu F, Lins U, Bazylinski DA (2011) Culture-independent characterization of a novel, uncultivated magnetotactic member of the Nitrospirae phylum. Environ Microbiol 13:538–549

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Lefèvre CT, Menguy N, Abreu F, Lins U, Posfai M, Prozorov T, Pignol D, Frankel RB, Bazylinski DA (2011) A cultured greigite-producing magnetotactic bacterium in a novel group of sulfate-reducing bacteria. Science 334:1720–1723

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Lefèvre CT, Posfai M, Abreu F, Lins U, Frankel RB, Bazylinski DA (2011) Morphological features of elongated-anisotropic magnetosome crystals in magnetotactic bacteria of the Nitrospirae phylum and the Deltaproteobacteria class. Earth Planet Sci Lett 312:194–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Li J, Pan Y, Liu Q, Yu-Zhang K, Menguy N, Che R, Qin H, Lin W, Wu W, Petersen N, Yang X (2010) Biomineralization, crystallography and magnetic properties of bullet-shaped magnetite magnetosomes in giant rod magnetotactic bacteria. Earth Planet Sci Lett 293(3–4):368–376

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Lin W, Li J, Pan Y (2012) Newly isolated but uncultivated magnetotactic bacterium of the phylum Nitrospirae from Beijing, China. Appl Environ Microbiol 78(3):668–675

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Lins U, Freitas F, Keim CN, Barros HL, Esquivel DMS, Farina M (2003) Simple homemade apparatus for harvesting uncultured magnetotactic microorganisms. Braz J Microbiol 34(2):111–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Lower BH, Bazylinski DA (2013) The bacterial magnetosome: a unique prokaryotic organelle. J Mol Microbiol Biotech 23:63–80

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Mandernack KW, Bazylinski DA, Shanks WC, Bullen TD (1999) Oxygen and iron isotope studies of magnetite produced by magnetotactic bacteria. Science 285:1892–1896

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Mann S, Frankel RB, Blakemore RP (1984) Structure, morphology and crystal-growth of bacterial magnetite. Nature 310:405–407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Matsunaga T, Sakaguchi T (2000) Molecular mechanism of magnet formation in bacteria. J Biosci Bioeng 90:1–13

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Moench TT, Konetzka W (1978) A novel method for the isolation and study of a magnetotactic bacterium. Arch Microbiol 119(2):203–212

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Moench TT (1988) Bilophococcus-magnetotacticus Gen-Nov-Sp-No, a motile, magnetic coccus. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek J Microbiol 54:483–496

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Oestreicher Z, Lower SK, Lin W, Lower BH (2012) Collection, isolation and enrichment of naturally occurring magnetotactic bacteria from the environment. J Visualized Exp (69):e50123

    Google Scholar 

  49. Peck JA, King JW (1996) Magnetofossils in the sediment of Lake Baikal, Siberia. Earth Planet Sci Lett 140:159–172

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Penninga I, Dewaard H, Moskowitz BM, Bazylinski DA, Frankel RB (1995) Remanence measurements on individual magnetotactic bacteria using a pulsed magnetic field. J Magn Magn Mater 149:279–286

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Posfai M, Buseck PR, Bazylinski DA, Frankel RB (1998) Iron sulfides from magnetotactic bacteria: structure, composition, and phase transitions. Am Mineral 83:1469–1481

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Posfai M, Buseck PR, Bazylinski DA, Frankel RB (1998) Reaction sequence of iron sulfide minerals in bacteria and their use as biomarkers. Science 280:880–883

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Posfai M, Lefevre CT, Trubitsyn D, Bazylinski DA, Frankel RB (2013) Phylogenetic significance of composition and crystal morphology of magnetosome minerals. Front Microbiol 4:344

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Proksch RB, Schaffer TE, Moskowitz BM, Dahlberg ED, Bazylinski DA, Frankel RB (1995) Magnetic force microscopy of the submicron magnetic assembly in a magnetotactic bacterium. Appl Phys Lett 66:2582–2584

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Prozorov T, Bazylinski DA, Mallapragada SK, Prozorov R (2013) Novel magnetic nanomaterials inspired by magnetotactic bacteria: topical review. Mat Sci Eng R 74:133–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  56. Ricci JCD, Kirschvink JL (1992) Magnetic domain state and coercivity predictions for biogenic greigite (Fe3S4)—a comparison of theory with magnetosome observations. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 97:17309–17315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  57. Rodgers FG, Blakemore RP, Blakemore NA, Frankel RB, Bazylinski DA, Maratea D, Rodgers C (1990) Intercellular structure in a many-celled magnetotactic prokaryote. Arch Microbiol 154(1):18–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  58. Simmons SL, Bazylinski DA, Edwards KJ (2006) South-seeking magnetotactic bacteria in the Northern Hemisphere. Science 311(5759):371–374

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Scheffel A, Gruska M, Faivre D, Linaroudis A, Plitzko JM, Schuler D (2006) An acidic protein aligns magnetosomes along a filamentous structure in magnetotactic bacteria. Nature 440:110–114

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Spring S, Amann R, Ludwig W, Schleifer KH, Vangemerden H, Petersen N (1993) Dominating role of an unusual magnetotactic bacterium in the microaerobic zone of a fresh-water sediment. Appl Environ Microbiol 59:2397–2403

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Spring S, Schleifer KH (1995) Diversity of magnetotactic bacteria. Syst Appl Microbiol 18:147–153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. Taylor BL, Zhulin IB, Johnson MS (1999) Aerotaxis and other energy-sensing behavior in bacteria. Annu Rev Microbiol 53:103–128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Thornhill RH, Burges JG, Sakaguchi T, Matsunaga T (1994) A morphological classification of bacteria containing bullet-shaped magnetic particles. FEMS Microbiol Lett 115:169–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. Towe KM, Moench TT (1981) Electron-optical characterization of bacterial magnetite. Earth Planet Sci Lett 52:213–220

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Weiss BP, Kim SS, Kirschvink JL, Kopp RE, Sankaran M, Kobayashi A, Komeili A (2004) Ferromagnetic resonance and low-temperature magnetic tests for biogenic magnetite. Earth Planet Sci Lett 224:73–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Zachery Oestreicher, Steven K. Lower & Brian H. Lower

  2. University of Nevada at Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA

    Dennis A. Bazylinski

  3. School of Environment and Natural Resources, 210 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Brian H. Lower

Authors
  1. Zachery Oestreicher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Steven K. Lower
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dennis A. Bazylinski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Brian H. Lower
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brian H. Lower .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

    Daad Saffarini

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Oestreicher, Z., Lower, S.K., Bazylinski, D.A., Lower, B.H. (2015). Collection and Enrichment of Magnetotactic Bacteria from the Environment. In: Saffarini, D. (eds) Bacteria-Metal Interactions. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18570-5_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation