Anisotropy of Bullet-Shaped Magnetite Nanoparticles in the Magnetotactic Bacteria Desulfovibrio magneticus sp. Strain RS-1 (original) (raw)
Related papers
Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2010
Magnetosomes produced by magnetotactic bacteria are of great interest for understanding bacterial biomineralization along with sedimentary magnetism and environmental magnetism. One of the most intriguing species, Magnetobacterium bavaricum can synthesize hundreds of bullet-shaped magnetite magnetosomes per cell, which contribute significantly to magnetic properties of sediments. However, the biomineralization mechanism and magnetic properties of such magnetosomes remain unknown. In this paper, we have conducted a comprehensive study of the crystallography and magnetic properties of bullet-shaped magnetosomes formed by uncultivated giant rod magnetotactic bacteria (referred to as MYR-1), recently discovered in Lake Miyun (Beijing, China). Transmission electron microscopy observations reveal that each MYR-1 cell contains hundreds of bullet-shaped magnetite magnetosomes, which are arranged into 3 - 5 braid-like bundles of chains. The formation of the bullet-shaped magnetosomes can be divided into two stages: initial isotropic growth (up to ∼ 20 nm) followed by elongation along the [100] direction, which is unusual compared with the expected [111] magnetic easy axis. Although the [100] orientation is the hard axis of the face-centered cubic magnetite, the shape anisotropy of bullet-shaped magnetosomes and intra-bundle magnetostatic interactions confine the magnetization direction of the chain along the long axis of the cell/bundle. Due to each bundle of magnetosome chains effectively behaving as an elongated single domain particle, the MYR-1 cells show high coercivity, weak intra-bundle magnetostatic interaction, and high δ-ratio. These results provide new insights into the biomineralization process and magnetic properties of bullet-shaped magnetite magnetosomes.
Spatial arrangement of chains of magnetosomes in magnetotactic bacteria
Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 1996
Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM) were used to investigate the spatial arrangement of chains of magnetosomes in cells of two morphologically different types of magnetotactic bacteria which possess at least two chains: Magnetobacterium bavaricum, and wildtype magnetic cocci. The TEM pictures show apparently very different arrangements of the chains within the cells. Stereo-micrographs obtained by tilting individual bacteria in the TEM, however, revealed that magnetosome chains in magnetic cocci always lie on opposite sides of the cell body and in close proximity to the cell envelope. The rod-shaped cells of M. bavaricum contain up to 1000 bullet-shaped magnetosomes forming 3–5 rope-shaped bundles of magnetosomes arranged such that they are separated by the maximum possible distance from each other and positioned adjacent to the cell envelope. These observations can be understood in terms of repulsion forces between parallel magnetic dipoles driving the chains apart from each other and forcing them to be in direct mechanical contact to the cell envelope. Thus, the magnetic torque acting on the chains under the influence of the geomagnetic field can be transferred very effectively to the whole cell body. Moreover, the formation of two or more chains inside the cell body is an effective means of achieving a magnetic moment large enough for a given cell size to overcome the viscous resistance with respect to the surrounding medium, which is required to ensure an alignment with the geomagnetic field as fast as possible. Based on these two arguments and on the electron optical observations, we hypothesize that all coccoid magnetotactic bacteria contain at least two chains of magnetosomes.
Magnetosome chain superstructure in uncultured magnetotactic bacteria
Physical Biology, 2010
Magnetotactic bacteria produce magnetosomes, which are magnetic particles enveloped by biological membranes, in a highly controlled mineralization process. Magnetosomes are used to navigate in magnetic fields by a phenomenon called magnetotaxis. Two levels of organization and control are recognized in magnetosomes. First, magnetotactic bacteria create a spatially distinct environment within vesicles defined by their membranes. In the vesicles, the bacteria control the size, composition and purity of the mineral content of the magnetic particles. Unique crystal morphologies are produced in magnetosomes as a consequence of this bacterial control. Second, magnetotactic bacteria organize the magnetosomes in chains within the cell body. It has been shown in a particular case that the chains are positioned within the cell body in specific locations defined by filamentous cytoskeleton elements. Here, we describe an additional level of organization of the magnetosome chains in uncultured magnetotactic cocci found in marine and freshwater sediments. Electron microscopy analysis of the magnetosome chains using a goniometer showed that the magnetic crystals in both types of bacteria are not oriented at random along the crystal chain. Instead, the magnetosomes have specific orientations relative to the other magnetosomes in the chain. Each crystal is rotated either 60°, 180° or 300° relative to their neighbors along the chain axis, causing the overlapping of the (1 1 1) and (\overline 1 \,\overline 1 \,\overline 1) capping faces of neighboring crystals. We suggest that genetic determinants that are not present or active in bacteria with magnetosomes randomly rotated within a chain must be present in bacteria that organize magnetosomes so precisely. This particular organization may also be used as an indicative biosignature of magnetosomes in the study of magnetofossils in the cases where this symmetry is observed.
Magnetotactic Bacteria and Magnetosomes: Basic Properties and Applications
Magnetochemistry, 2021
Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) belong to several phyla. This class of microorganisms exhibits the ability of magneto-aerotaxis. MTB synthesize biominerals in organelle-like structures called magnetosomes, which contain single-domain crystals of magnetite (Fe3O4) or greigite (Fe3S4) characterized by a high degree of structural and compositional perfection. Magnetosomes from dead MTB could be preserved in sediments (called fossil magnetosomes or magnetofossils). Under certain conditions, magnetofossils are capable of retaining their remanence for millions of years. This accounts for the growing interest in MTB and magnetofossils in paleo- and rock magnetism and in a wider field of biogeoscience. At the same time, high biocompatibility of magnetosomes makes possible their potential use in biomedical applications, including magnetic resonance imaging, hyperthermia, magnetically guided drug delivery, and immunomagnetic analysis. In this review, we attempt to summarize the current state of ...
We report structural characterization and magnetic properties of various assemblies of chains of magnetosomes. The same magnetic properties are observed for the magnetotactic bacteria and for the extracted chains of magnetosomes isolated in a polymer. When the extracted chains of magnetosomes form a denser structure than that observed in the bacteria, the magnetic properties change markedly. A decrease in the coercivity and reduced remanence is observed. This behavior is attributed to an enhancement of the dipolar interactions between the chains of magnetosomes in the limit of a weakly interacting system; that is, the magnetostatic energy is lower than the anisotropy energy. The effect of the dipolar interactions is more pronounced at 250 K than at 10 K. This behavior is attributed to the existence of a family of small magnetosomes, which undergo a transition from a ferromagnetic to a superparamagnetic state.
Magnetic-field induced rotation of magnetosome chains in silicified magnetotactic bacteria
Scientific reports, 2018
Understanding the biological processes enabling magnetotactic bacteria to maintain oriented chains of magnetic iron-bearing nanoparticles called magnetosomes is a major challenge. The study aimed to constrain the role of an external applied magnetic field on the alignment of magnetosome chains in Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 magnetotactic bacteria immobilized within a hydrated silica matrix. A deviation of the chain orientation was evidenced, without significant impact on cell viability, which was preserved after the field was turned-off. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the crystallographic orientation of the nanoparticles within the chains were preserved. Off-axis electron holography evidenced that the change in magnetosome orientation was accompanied by a shift from parallel to anti-parallel interactions between individual nanocrystals. The field-induced destructuration of the chain occurs according to two possible mechanisms: (i) each magnetosome responds indivi...
The effect and role of environmental conditions on magnetosome synthesis
Frontiers in Microbiology, 2014
Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are considered the model species for the controlled biomineralization of magnetic Fe oxide (magnetite, Fe 3 O 4) or Fe sulfide (greigite, Fe 3 S 4) nanocrystals in living organisms. In MTB, magnetic minerals form as membrane-bound, single-magnetic domain crystals known as magnetosomes and the synthesis of magnetosomes by MTB is a highly controlled process at the genetic level. Magnetosome crystals reveal highest purity and highest quality magnetic properties and are therefore increasingly sought after as novel nanoparticulate biomaterials for industrial and medical applications. In addition, "magnetofossils," have been used as both past terrestrial and potential Martian life biosignature. However, until recently, the general belief was that the morphology of mature magnetite crystals formed by MTB was largely unaffected by environmental conditions. Here we review a series of studies that showed how changes in environmental factors such as temperature, pH, external Fe concentration, external magnetic fields, static or dynamic fluid conditions, and nutrient availability or concentrations can all affect the biomineralization of magnetite magnetosomes in MTB. The resulting variations in magnetic nanocrystals characteristics can have consequence both for their commercial value but also for their use as indicators for ancient life. In this paper we will review the recent findings regarding the influence of variable chemical and physical environmental control factors on the synthesis of magnetosome by MTB, and address the role of MTB in the global biogeochemical cycling of iron.
Geophysical Journal International, 2009
Stable single-domain (SD) magnetite formed intracellularly by magnetotactic bacteria is of fundamental interest in sedimentary and environmental magnetism. In this study, we studied the time course of magnetosome growth and magnetosome chain formation (0-96 hr) in Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation and rock magnetism. The initial non-magnetic cells were microaerobically batch cultured at 26 • C in a modified magnetic spirillum growth medium. TEM observations indicated that between 20 and 24 hr magnetosome crystals began to mineralize simultaneously at multiple sites within the cell body, followed by a phase of rapid growth lasting up to 48 hr cultivation. The synthesized magnetosomes were found to be assembled into 3-5 subchains, which were linearly aligned along the long axis of the cell, supporting the idea that magnetosome vesicles were linearly anchored to the inner membrane of cell. By 96 hr cultivation, 14 cubo-octahedral magnetosome crystals in average with a mean grain size of ∼44.5 nm were formed in a cell. Low-temperature (10-300 K) thermal demagnetization, room-temperature hysteresis loops and first-order reversal curves (FORCs) were conducted on whole cell samples. Both coercivity (4.7-18.1 mT) and Verwey transition temperature (100-106 K) increase with increasing cultivation time length, which can be explained by increasing grain size and decreasing nonstoichiometry of magnetite, respectively. Shapes of hysteresis loops and FORCs indicated each subchain behaving as an 'ideal' uniaxial SD particle and extremely weak magnetostatic interaction fields between subchains. Low-temperature thermal demagnetization of remanence demonstrated that the Moskowitz test is valid for such linear subchain configurations (e.g. δ FC /δ ZFC > 2.0), implying that the test is applicable to ancient sediments where magnetosome chains might have been broken up into short chains due to disintegration of the organic scaffold structures after cell death. These findings provide new insights into magnetosome biomineralization of magnetotactic bacteria and contribute to better understanding the magnetism of magnetofossils in natural environments.
Magnetotaxis and magnetic particles in bacteria
Hyperfine Interactions, 1994
Magnetotactic bacteria contain magnetic particles that constitute a pennanent magnetic dipole and cause each cell to orient and migrate along geomagnetic field lines. Recent results relevant to the biomineralization process and to the function of magnetotaxis are discussed.