by Alexander BORONIN, RAS Corresponding Member, Vitaly DUDA, Dr. Sc. (Biol.), Natalya SUZINA, Cand. Sc. (Biol.), G. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, RAS, Pushchino State University The majority of microorganism species inhabiting the Earth have not yet been isolated and studied. This indicates that our knowledge of the life on our planet is incomplete and drastically limits our potentialities to control biospheric processes and inhibits development of biotechnologies. Therefore, new information about predaceous ultramicrobacteria, realizing a unique heretofore unknown in biology method of cohesion (drawing together and strong coupling of parasite cells and victim cells) is particularly valuable. Tens of earlier unknown in science representatives of the microflora were discovered in 2010, the year proclaimed the International Year of Biological Diversity by the UNO. Our ideas on the role of bacteria in the biosphere and involvement of microorganisms in the synthesis of compounds useful for man have been extended. Studying some ultrasmall (cell volume 〈0.3 µm3) bacteria* at the Laboratory of Microorganism Cytology and Plasmid Biology at our Institute, we have found out that this population includes true predators, parasitizing on other heterotrophic and phototrophic bacteria. They behave as epibionts–exist and develop tightly attached to the victim cells, captured beforehand in their "molecular network", like moths in a cobweb. THE WAY PROKARYOTES PARASITIZE Bacteria and archea, attacking and destroying living prokaryotic (without a true nucleus) cells, are considered parasites or predators, in contradistinction to triv- * See: A. Boronin, V. Duda, N. Suzina, "Ultramicrobacteria", Science in Russia, No. 5, 2007.–Ed. стр. 5 KAISTIA SP. NF1. Ultrathin section of cells. Pr-protrusions, EM-external membrane, P-periplasm, CM-cytoplasmatic membrane, N-nucleoid, M-murein layer in ... Читать далее