Magnificent Thiomargarita next to a dime When we think of bacteria we think of something microscopic, so when we think of a bacterium that can measure between 10mm and 20mm long It's surprising to say the least, that's how it is magnificent thiodaisy. A giant among the little ones.
comparing it on a human scale it is as if giants existed of mythology. And I'm not referring to giants hundreds of meters tall, nor to giants as tall as skyscrapers (for example, the Burj Khalifa, which is 820 meters tall), but to giants the size of Everest, giants over 8000m high. That is the feeling that the rest of the bacteria must have when contemplating the magnificent thiodaisy.
The size of the magnificent thiodaisy it's not the only surprising thing that this bacterium has, but to understand it well, let's start at the beginning:
What are bacteria?
"They are unicellular microorganisms without a differentiated nucleus." This is how we can find the definition of bacteria in the RAE. However, the magnificent thiodaisy can be seen with the naked eye, which does not match the definition of bacteria known so far.
In addition, they have been found presence of "fragments" of DNA in its membrane, which would also not fit the definition of a bacterium. Something that we will talk about a little more below.
How was it discovered? magnificent thiodaisy?
We are talking about a finding relatively close in time, from 2009. In this year Olivier Gros, a French researcher, was in the mangroves of the island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean and noticed the presence of some fine white threads that were in the decomposing leaves of a red mangrove swamp. However, it would not be at this time that it was discovered that it was those little threads.
Your name
In 2015, the Mexican microbiologist Silvina González Rizzo managed to successfully analyze these threads and discover that it was a sulfur bacterium. From this moment it would receive the name "Thiomargarita" due to the appearance of its cells and similarity with what was considered the largest bacterium up to now: the Thiomarguerite namibiensis. This first part of the name means "pearl of sulfur".
The second part of the name of this bacterium (magnificent) It comes to reflect the peculiarity of its size and was coined by the Mexican microbiologist. The characteristics of bacteria are constantly evolving.
Its peculiar size
Studies on this bacterium continued and it would be precisely a doctoral student of the French researcher who would succeed in sequencing the genome of this impressive bacterium. The cell size of the magnificent thiodaisy It far exceeds any that was already known. The fact that bacteria can be seen with the naked eye has revolutionized the world of microorganisms, and it's time to consider whether the definition should be changed. We could see them the way we see an eyelash.
It has long it had been thought that bacterial cells could not be large due to their own needs. That is, the bigger a cell is, the more energy it takes to survive and the more food it takes too. The magnificent thiodaisy It has a cellular organization that moves away from bacteria (known to be more primitive), it is more like the cells of plants and animals that are more advanced.
The scientists assure that the discovery and research around this bacterium will also help find the reason why eukaryotic genomes are getting bigger and bigger. An interesting aspect to investigate is the advances in the use of the microscope to observe organisms such as the magnificent thiodaisy.
Your innovation in DNA
The size is not the only surprising thing about this bacterium, they have a more complex structure than any other known bacterium: compartmentalize DNA into a kind of compartments called pipsThat is, it stores its DNA in small, orderly packages.
Bacteria are prokaryotes, that is, unicellular organisms without a cell nucleus, so their DNA is free or loose. Eukaryotes, on the other hand, do have their DNA surrounded by an envelope. The magnificent thiodaisy It is a bacterium and therefore it is within the prokaryotes. However, your cell has these "nuggets" that encapsulate the cell's DNA. In addition, its genome is also one of the largest of prokaryotes.
The discovery of this bacterium, therefore, has been important because ago rethink the limits of bacteria.
Bacteria do not have the complex organization of eukaryotes, although we should not think of them as simple organisms either. Bacteria can use sugars, grow on different substrates, communicate and behave socially, etc.
The magnificent Thiomarguerite today
It is a bacterium is still being studied and that it is rethinking the world of bacteria. At the same time, it will help to better understand other types of organisms such as eukaryotes, where we humans find ourselves.
Something fascinating about nature is that millions of things remain to be discovered and that these things can dismantle what we understood as the norm. It's a constant reminder that we must be open to changes.