Deposition of Biogenic Iron Minerals in a Methane Oxidizing Microbial Mat
Figure 4
Aggregates in different stages of magnetosome-like chain formation. (a) ANME-2/SRB aggregate without visible precipitates. (b) Periphery of a large aggregate (asterisk), with gap between aggregates (arrows). Cells with multiple magnetosome-like chains (inset; see also (c)). Note cell debris, mainly consisting of envelopes from filamentous cells (arrows), outside the aggregates. (c) Periphery of an intact aggregate as depicted in (b) (unstained section; cells are invisible), showing the position of straight magnetosome chains inside cells. (d) ANME-2/SRB aggregate after cell lysis (cells are absent in spite of staining, compare (c)), with magnetosome chains still in place (some chains are marked by arrows). The inset shows a single chain. The dotted line marks the border of the aggregate (right of the dotted line). Some chains are found outside the area of the aggregate.