Isolating "Uncultivable" Microorganisms in Pure Culture in a Simulated Natural Environment

The majority (>99%) of microorganisms from the environment resist cultivation in the laboratory. Ribosomal RNA analysis suggests that uncultivated organisms are found in nearly every prokaryotic group, and several divisions have no known cultivable representatives. We designed a diffusion chamber...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2002-05, Vol.296 (5570), p.1127-1129
Main Authors: Kaeberlein, T., Lewis, K., Epstein, S. S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arcobacter
Bacteria
Bacteria - classification
Bacteria - cytology
Bacteria - growth & development
Bacteria - isolation & purification
Bacteriological Techniques
Bacteriology
Biological and medical sciences
Colony Count, Microbial
Culture Media
Diffusion Chambers, Culture
DNA, Bacterial - analysis
DNA, Bacterial - genetics
DNA, Ribosomal - analysis
DNA, Ribosomal - genetics
Environment
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Game theory
Geologic Sediments - microbiology
Growth
Growth, nutrition, cell differenciation
Marine
Microbiology
Microorganisms
Molecular Sequence Data
Monera
Natural environments
P branes
Public goods
Ribonucleic acid
RNA
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics
Seawater
Sediments
Silicon Dioxide
Simulation
Social evolution
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Summary:The majority (>99%) of microorganisms from the environment resist cultivation in the laboratory. Ribosomal RNA analysis suggests that uncultivated organisms are found in nearly every prokaryotic group, and several divisions have no known cultivable representatives. We designed a diffusion chamber that allowed the growth of previously uncultivated microorganisms in a simulated natural environment. Colonies of representative marine organisms were isolated in pure culture. These isolates did not grow on artificial media alone but formed colonies in the presence of other microorganisms. This observation may help explain the nature of microbial uncultivability.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1070633