MORPHOLOGY, GROWTH AND PROTEIN PATTERNS OF HALOCOCCI FROM PERMO-TRIASSIC ROCK SALT

摘要

Viable extremely halophilic archaebacteria were isolated from Austrian Permo-Triassic rock salt and identified as Halococcus species. Growth of these isolates was greatly stimulated by addition of sea salts, Alpine rock salt and rock salt from a Permian deposit in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland (IS). Whole cell protein patterns of Hcc. salifodinae and Hcc. dombrowskii were different when cells were grown in the presence or absence of IS, which suggested influences by unknown components in the rock salt on halobacterial metabolism. A method for staining halococci with 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) was developed. The procedure was sufficiently sensitive to allow detection of changes in internal structures and should thus greatly improve the detection of halophilic microorganisms in situ.