Bacteria in Nature

The value of studies of monotypic populations is constantly argued in bacterial ecology. The controversy itself is evidenceofthe strong awareness that bacterial activities in natural sites are not determined by the bacteria alone. At the same time, the best evidence that bacteria are influenced by environmental factors is the contrast between their behavior in laboratory cultures and their relatively subdued influence when in the presence of com petitors, predators, and fluctuating-often stressful-environmental conditions. Monotypic populations are admittedly reductionist, but are not therefore irrelevant to bacterial ecology. Quite the contrary. Without pure culture studies, our understanding of important and applicable bacterial activities-N fixation, for example-would still be z limited to what we could discern from a comparison of events in steamed vis-a-vis un heated soil. As was evident throughout the previous volume in this treatise, practically any method of studying natural bacterial communities upsets them while permitting only limited assessment of the respective qualities and quantitative contributions to total com munity activity of each type of bacterium present. Total activity itself is difficult to assess and is not dependably accomplished by any single method. This third volume comprises information regarding the properties of bacteria as they have been learned largely from pure culture studies. Its purpose is twofold: to provide readers with fundamental information regarding the cellular organization, physiological capabilities, and genetic systems of bacteria; and to connect known bacterial properties with environmental influences on them and with their influences on natural processes.

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1 The Structure of Bacteria.- A Fundamental Design for Bacteria.- Necessity of Organelles.- Discrete Organelles within the Cytoplasm.- Organelles Associated with the Cell Surface.- The Cytosol.- Bacteria in Nature.- Concluding Remarks.- References.- 2 Growth and Survival of Bacteria.- Growth of Bacteria.- Survival of Bacteria.- Conclusions.- References.- 3 Chemistry and Metabolism of Intracellular Reserves.- Criteria for Classification of a Substance Having Energy-Storage Function.- Glycogen and Other ?-1,4-Glucans.- d(-)-Poly-?-Hydroxybutyric Acid.- Polyphosphate.- General Conclusions.- References.- 4 Chemical Unity and Diversity in Bacterial Catabolism.- Physiological Determinants of Degradative Pathways: The Need to Satisfy Energy Requirements in a Variety of Environments.- Enzymes Used to Prepare the Structures of Growth Substrates for Participation in Energy-Yielding Processes.- Bacterial Degradation of Synthetic Compounds.- Abiotic Transformation of Environmental Pollutants.- Summary.- References.- 5 Biotic and Abiotic Release of Inorganic Substances Exploited by Bacteria.- Nature of the Inorganic Environment.- Conditions Supporting Microbe-Mediated Release of Inorganic Substances.- Physiological and Metabolic Mechanisms Responsible for Solubilization of Inorganic Substances.- Bacterial Exploitation of Inorganic Substances Released from Minerals and Rocks.- Practical Applications of Microbe-Mediated Release of Inorganic Substances.- Summary.- References.- 6 Regulation of Bacterial Gene Expression.- Target Points for Genetic Regulation.- Conclusions.- References.- 7 Constancy and Change in Bacterial Genomes.- Constant Features of Bacterial Genomes.- Sources of Genetic Diversity.- Summary.- References.