Fine Structure of Thiobacillus thiooxidans

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Abstract
Thin section analysis of the chemosynthetic autotroph T. thiooxidans revealed structures comparable to gram-negative heterotrophic bacteria. Although this species is unique in that it oxidizes elemental sulfur for energy, uses carbon dioxide as its sole source of carbon, and can withstand a pH of less than 1, thin sections revealed a profile of the cell envelope (cell wall and plasmalemma) similar to other gram-negative species which have more common physiological traits. The cell wall is composed of five layers with an overall width of approximately 200 A, and the plasmalemma appears as a conventional "unit membrane" with a width of about 85 A. Volutin granules and less-dense bodies of similar shape and size were frequently observed in close association with the nucleoplasm. The nature and function of these bodies are unknown at this time.