A new species Bacteria like electric wires were recently discovered on salty beaches in Oregon. The species is named Candidatus Electothrix Yaqonensis In honor of the Yaquina tribe who once lived in and around Yaquina Bay where bacteria were found.
The species is a cable bacteria: rod-like microorganisms connected at both ends to form chains and share outer membranes, forming silk up to several centimeters long. Cable bacteria are found in marine and freshwater sediments and are abnormally conductive in bacteria. This is due to their special metabolism, in which electrons produced in their deep layers by oxidizing sulfides are sent to their surface layer, where they are received by oxygen and nitric acid.
The 25 known cable bacteria have been organized into two genera, Candidatus Electothrixlive in salt water, Candidatus Electronemalive in fresh and salty water. The new species found in this study have genes and metabolic pathways of genus, but are believed to be bridges to early branches Candidatus Electothrix ancestry, therefore classified as part of the genus.
Recently discovered species may provide new insights into how cable bacteria develop and how they play a role in different environments, explains Cheng Li, a postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State University and co-author of the study, in a statement.
High conductivity
Candidatus Electothrix Yaqonensis Different from existing cable bacteria. The outer shell of the cable bacteria has ridges that spread like mountains. The ridges of the new species are much thicker than those of previously known species, with an average thickness of about 228 nanometers, three times higher than previously seen. The ridges of the new species are arranged in a spiral pattern on the surface of the filaments, and their overall shape is more angled than those of other species.
But the most striking difference is that the filaments of the new species are surrounded by thick transparent sheaths. According to the authors of the papers that outlined the discovery, this is a structure that has not been seen before. The sheath does not carry out electricity and is believed to protect the filaments from the environment and foreign enemies.
