Chapters authored
TEM as an Important Tool to Study Aquatic Microorganisms and their Relationships with Ecological Processes
Microorganisms are critically important for ecological processes in aquatic environments. Bacteria and viruses are key components of the microbial loop and are central for biogeochemical cycles in aquatic ecosystems. Our group has been using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to study aquatic microorganisms in both natural tropical ecosystems and cultures. In this review, we highlight structural aspects of freshwater bacteria, based on TEM findings that have provided insights into the functional capabilities of these cells in aquatic tropical ecosystems. First, we focus on TEM applied to the study of the ultrastructural diversity and morphological alterations of bacteria in response to environmental stress. Second, we address the relationship between viruses and bacteria in freshwater ecosystems. Third, we demonstrate by TEM that outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), structures associated with cell secretion and cell communication, are released by aquatic bacteria into natural ecosystems and cultures. Thus, TEM has proven to be a powerful technique to study aquatic microorganisms, contributing to the understanding of ecological processes, including regulation of bacterial populations, during different environmental conditions.
Part of the book: Modern Electron Microscopy in Physical and Life Sciences