Diversity of Multicellular Magnetotactic Prokaryotes in Sanya Haitang Bay.

ABSTRACT: The intertidal sediments of Sanya Haitang Bay, a tropical coast, harbor abundant multicellular magnetotactic prokaryotes (MMPs). Using light and electron microscopy, micromanipulation sorting, and whole-genome amplification, we examined their diversity from morphological, phylogenetic, and ecological perspectives. Two types of MMPs were identified: ellipsoidal (eMMPs) and spherical (sMMPs). Their average abundance was 1.37 × 10³ ind./dm³ in autumn and 0.27 × 10³ ind./dm³ in spring, indicating strong seasonal variation. eMMPs averaged 9.74 × 8.15 µm, consisting of 80-100 cells arranged in layers, whereas sMMPs averaged 5.64 µm in diameter with 40-50 cells organized radially or spirally. Electron microscopy revealed bullet-shaped magnetosomes in bo

SUBMITTER: Shi J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12654384 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature