A Cyanobacterium Capable of Swimming Motility

Overview

Journal Science

Specialty Science

Date 1985 Oct 4

PMID 17817167

Citations 44

Authors

J B Waterbury

J M Willey

D G Franks

F W Valois

S W Watson

Affiliations

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Abstract

A novel cyanobacterium capable of swimming motility was isolated in pure culture from several locations in the Atlantic Ocean. It is a small unicellular form, assignable to the genus Synechococcus, that is capable of swimming through liquids at speeds of 25 micrometers per second. Light microscopy revealed that the motile cells display many features characteristic of bacterial flagellar motility. However, electron microscopy failed to reveal flagella and shearing did not arrest motility, indicating that the cyanobacterium may be propelled by a novel mechanism.

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