[1] Marine Microbes

• The largest known virus is the Pandoravirus
• The virus in its extracellular form

  Virion
• Viral shapes:

  1. Icosahedral
  2. Helical
  3. Binal
• A binal shape involves an icosahedral head and helical tail
• The lytic cycle involves cell death via the rupturing of the cell membrane
• The lysogenic cycle incorporates viral genetic material into the host cell
• Differentiate the ff. viral cycles

  A) Lytic Cycle

  B) Lysogenic cycle

  
• Most planktonic viruses are icosahedral or binal in shape, and have a lytic cycle
• Most sediment viruses are helical and have a lysogenic cycle
• Rupturing bacteria releases dimethyl sulfide, which cools global temperature
• Virus strains help control bacterial impact by suppressing bacterial evolution
• The canine distemper virus typically affects dogs, but is now found in marine mammals like seals
• Dog feces along the beach may be swept off by waves, resulting in an interspecies and interenvironmental virus
• The Morbillivirus is icosahedral virus that causes the stranding of whales and dolphins on the beach
• This is a binal virus that affects turtles

  Fibropapilloma
• This virus is related to measles, distemper, and mumps

  Morbillivirus
• The white spot syndrome virus affected commercial selling of Penaeus monodon
• 93 % of Pandoravirus genetic material is dissimilar to any other microbe
• Most marine bacteria are bacilli, although some are cocci
• Thiomargarita namibiensis is one of the largest bacteria discovered in namibia
• The thio in Thiomargarita namibiensis refers to how the bacteria metabolizes sulfur
• Epulopiscium fishelsoni is the longest bacillus, and affects brown sturgeon fish
• Types of Bacterial Nutrition:

  1. Photoautotrophy
  2. Chemoautotrophy
  3. Heterotrophy (osmotrophy)
• These bacteria rely on CO2 and light as a source of energy

  Photoautotrophs
• These bacteria rely on inorganic minerals or sources of carbon

  Chemoautotrophs
• These bacteria exhibit osmotrophy, the absorption of organic material through the cell wall

  Heterotrophs
• The most common marine photosynthetic bacteria

  Prochlorococcus
• The cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is significant in primary production due to its high abundance and production of biomass
• Cyanobacteria pigments:

  1. Chlorophyll a
  2. Chlorophyll b
  3. Carotenoids
  4. Phycobilins
• Carotenoids present an orange-red color
• Types of carotenoids:

  1. Beta carotene
  2. Xanthophyll
• Phycobilins generally refer to pigments found in algae
• Types of phycobilins:

  1. Phycoerythrin
  2. Phycocyanin
• The rise of salinity and grazers led to the decrease of Stromatolite distribution
• Stromatolites are essentially rock deposits with biofilm on top, with bacteria aggregating on the surface of rocks
• This substance allows the formation of biofilm of bacteria, surrounding the rocks and helping them stick to substrate

  Mucilage
• Purple sulfur bacteria are photosynthetic, but are obligate anaerobic, using hydrogen sulfide instead of water
• Chemosynthetic bacteria are often found in the guts of most animals
• Chemosynthetic bacteria utilize sulfides, sulfates, ammonia, and ammoniates as inorganic material
• Heterotrophic bacteria are often decomposers found in the pycnocline