Article Abstract:
A Gram staining technique utilizing fluorescent nucleic acid binding dyes, hexidium iodide (HI) and SYTO 13, was developed for analyzing unfixed organisms in suspension by means of flow cytometry and epifluorescence microscopy. Microscopic analysis found gram-negative strains were stained red-orange by the HI, while gram-positive strains were dyed bright green by the SYTO 13. These results were confirmed by flow cytometric analysis. Quantitative assessments were made in terms of intensity and percentage of staining.
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Article Abstract:
Rapid microbial formation of filamentous sulfur mats at Pacific hydrothermal vents by a chemoautotrophic, hydrogen sulfide-oxidizing bacterium has been documented in both shipboard and in situ experiments. It was found that formation of the sulfur mats may play a factor in the initial colonization of hydrothermal surfaces by macrofaunal Alvinella worms. This metabolic capability may be a significant source of microbial organic matter formation at deep-sea hydrothermal vents.
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Article Abstract:
Flow cytometric analysis utilizing nucleic acid dyes, SYTO-13, TOTO-1 and YOYO-1, of Escherichia coli and marine prokaryotic populations was conducted. Histograms taken after treatment with either ribonuclease or deoxyribonuclease reveal that these nucleic acid dyes preferentially stain DNA in marine prokaryotes but stains both RNA and DNA in E. coli. The implications of these results in bacterial nucleic acid research is discussed.
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