3 0. Sarcina 



Two species of flagellated Sarcina are listed in Bergey's Manual. 

 Sarcina citrea is described as producing a yellow to orange pig- 

 ment, in the form of single individuals, pairs, and packets, and with 

 a single flagellum per individual. A culture of this species could 

 not be obtained. Sarcina ureae (Sporosarcina ureae) is a fairly 

 common organism and three strains from different sources were 

 studied. Namely: Sporosarcina ureae from C. B. van Niel, Hop- 

 kins Marine Station; Sarcina ureae from Bruce Stocker, London, 

 England; and Sarcina ureae from Rudolph Hugh, George Wash- 

 ington University. All were morphologically typical and motile 

 (Fig. 32). 



Flagellar Characteristics 



With an organism which characteristically occurs in packets of 

 eight, and multiples of eight, the number of flagella per individual 

 is difficult to determine. With packets which appear to consist 

 of eight individuals the maximum number of flagella found was 

 nine. A lesser number was more common. From this we may 

 conclude that each individual coccus generally has only one flagel- 

 lum. It is also very difficult to determine if a flagellum has a polar 

 location, if one may use this term with Sarcina. No conclusion has 

 been reached on this point and no opinion is ventured. 



The flagella of S. ureae tend to be exceptionally long and the 

 normal flagella have a greater wavelength than the great majority 

 of normal flagella of rod shaped bacteria. Two of the strains 

 studied showed normal flagella only. The third strain (Hugh) 

 showed several shape variants: normal, curly, small amplitude, and 

 one with a wavelength intermediate between normal and curly. 

 This latter type is labeled subnormal and was only found in asso- 

 ciation with curly flagella on a packet. A few flagella were also 

 found which were partly subnormal and partly curly. Attempts 

 at isolation of pure cultures of the various flagellar types were 

 not made. 



The wavelength of the normal flagella of the three strains 

 studied averaged 3.19 microns. The wavelength of the curly 

 flagella averaged 1.4 microns. The few measurements possible 

 on the subnormal wavelength averaged 2.3 microns. The small 

 amplitude flagella had wavelengths averaging about 2 microns. 



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