Methanococcus vannielii: ultrastructure and sensitivity to detergents and antibiotics

Abstract

Methanococcus vannielii is a strictly anaerobic motile coccus that possesses a tuft of flagellae. The cells are markedly sensitive to mechanical stress and are readily lysed by detergents, but the organism grows normally in media of low ionic strength. The absence of a typical cell wall, further suggested by resistance of M. vannielii to penicillin, cycloserine, and vancomycin, was confirmed by ultrastructural studies. Electron micrographs showed that the cell envelope lacks a peptidoglycan layer. On the outer surface there is a regular array of subunits similar to those of the glycoprotein envelopes of the halobacteria. However, the M. vannielii cell envelope, unlike those of the holobacteria, is unable to maintain a definite shape, and a high salt concentration is not required for its integrity.

In vivo susceptibility of halophilic and methanogenic organisms to protein synthesis inhibitors

“…The aminoglycoside-related antibiotics spectinomycin and kasugamycin, the macrolide antibiotics oleandomycin and erythromycin and lincomycin showed either no inhibition of growth or at high concentrations only. Chloramphenicol, as already reported [5,6] displayed intermediate to high effectivity on all archaebacteria tested.…”

The effect of detergent on methanogenesis by Methanosarcina barkeri

“…were not uncoupled) in these cultures. Although little systematic work on the effects of detergents on methanogenesis has been accomplished, Jones et al [9] observed that the addition of 10 ppm sodium dodecyl sulphate to cultures of Methanococcus vannielii caused immediate cell lysis. The addition of SDBS at concentrations greater than 15 ppm to the M. barkeri cultures in the present study, revealed evidence of cell surface damage on scanning electron microscopical examination.…”

A review on comparative mechanistic studies of antimicrobial peptides against archaea

“…Data have also been reported concerning the effect it has on cell membrane permeability (Hancock & Fitz-James, 1964) and selective inhibition of ribonucleic acid synthesis (Jordan & Mallory, 1964). (Kandler & König, 1978), M. smithii (Dermoumi & Ansorg, 2001), or M. vannielii (Jones et al, 1977). The order of the attached amino acids is different in the case of pseudomurein cross-linking in comparison with murein.…”

“…This binding leads to the formation of a complex which prevents the conversion to the phosphate form leading to inhibition of peptidoglycan biosynthesis (Reynolds, 1971;Siewert & Strominger, 1967;Stone & Strominger, 1972;Storm & Strominger, 1973;Toscano & Storm, 1982;Weinberg, 1958Weinberg, , 1967 Bacitracin was tested against Methanococcus vannielii (Jones, Bowers, & Stadtman, 1977) (Hammes, Winter, & Kandler, 1979). Results show that bacitracin inhibited the activity of M. vanniellii and the four of the strains of the genus of Methanobacterium.…”

“…D-Cycloserine inhibits cell wall synthesis in Gram positive bacteria and M.tuberculosis by inhibition of the incorporation of D-alanine into peptidoglycan pentapeptide (Lambert & Neuhaus, 1972;Vyshepan, Ivanova, & Ledneva, 1962;Wargel, Shadur, & Neuhaus, 1971). D-Cycloserine was found to be inactive against M. vannielii (Jones et al, 1977;Kandler & König, 1998) Methanosarcina barkeri and Methanospirillum hungatii (Hammes et al, 1979). This inactivity is possibly due to the absence of the D-Ala-D-Ala This is further highlighted when compared with the sensitivity of those strains to AMPs discussed earlier (bacitracin, nisin, enduracidin and gardimycin) that inhibit peptidoglycan synthesis through different modes of action (i.e., bind to lipid A) (Hammes et al, 1979).…”