Ultrastructural Organization of a Novel Halotolerant Strain Kocuria sp. ICIS A2.2 (Actinobacteria) after a Change of Carbon Source

Abstract

Morphological and physiological properties, the partial sequence of the 16S rRNA gene, and the ultrastructure of a novel halotolerant hydrocarbon oxidizing bacterium Kocuria sp. (strain ICIS A2.2) isolated from the association with the ciliate Cyclidium sp. have been characterized. Morphological and ultrastructural changes have been revealed in cells of the studied strain while growing in a media with different carbon sources (sucrose or diesel fuel). At the cellular level, the enlargement of the cells, changes in their shape, and the formation of aggregates occur. At the subcellular level, both the number and size of cytoplasmic membrane bodies increase and electron-transparent inclusions appear. These changes may be considered a result of adaptation to a medium containing hydrocarbons.