Saprospiraceae

The Saprospiraceae are a family of bacteria. The type genus is Saprospira. They belong to the Department of Bacteroidetes.

Appearance

The Gram test is negative. Some species are motile by gliding, flagella are not present. The movable by sliding representatives include species of the genera Saprospira, Lewinella and Aureispira. They are rod-shaped and form long, multicellular filaments. This can in some species, such as be helical in Saprospira grandis and types of Aureispira. The colonies are often pink, yellow, orange or red colored. Spore formation do not occur.

Growth and metabolism

The species are aerobic metabolism is respiration. Oxygen is always the last electron acceptor. They are chemo- organotroph.

Occurrence

All species occur in freshwater or seawater. Haliscomenobacter hydrossis needed fresh water and is often isolated from sewage and activated sludge. There can be present in large quantities. Aureispira marina, Aureispira maritima and Lewinella occur in seawater. Saprospira was isolated in both fresh as well as from seawater.

System

The family consists of four genera:

• Aureispira Hosoya et al. 2006
• Haliscomenobacter van Veen et al. 1973
• Lewinella Sly et al. 1998

Ecology

The members of this family are found exclusively in fresh or sea water. A special feature is the way Saprospira grandis, is a predator (predator ), the other organisms such as diatoms, blue-green algae and other microorganisms by means of mucus, which is also used for the sliding movement, captured. If the prey organisms are caught with the mucus, they are transported to the cell with the help of the mucus and eventually killed by exotoxins and dissolved by enzymes that are released in nutrients are then absorbed by the bacterium. The process of " catching " and " digestion " is referred to in English as, ixotrophy '.