Electron Microscopy of Bacterial-Like Microorganisms From the Antarctic Soil

• Published in: Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America
• Main Authors: Uydess, Ian, Vishniac, Wolf
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1973
• Subjects: General Medicine; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Vanda; Asgard Range; Vanda Lake; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0424820100073283; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0424820100073283

Recently, a number of soil samples isolated from geographically distinct regions in the Asgard Range-Vanda Lake area of the Antarctic, were shown to contain living microorganisms which displayed bacterial-like morphologies. The microorganisms isolated from these samples were observed to have heterogeneous structural characteristics ranging from those with “typical” Gram - or Gram + morphologies, to those with “unique” morphologies which may be intermediate to the eubacteria and lower algae. Cell pellets prepared from the various soil samples were rinsed in phosphate buffered saline and fixed in Dalton's Chrome Osmium. These were then post-fixed in aqueous Uranyl Acetate, dehydrated in a graded alcohol series, and then embedded in Epon for electron microscopy. Examination of these preparations revealed the existence of several distinct morphologic types of bacterial-like microorganisms.