The authors of this contributed volume define various inclusions and supramolecular structures in prokaryotes as discrete bodies. Research on the biosynthesis, reutilization and physiological functions of the accumulated structures is still in progress, while the interest in these inclusions is still growing. Within this second edition, the new editor organized updates to the most important contributions of the original volume.

The chapters discuss the most prominent inclusion examples such as gas vesicles, inorganic inclusions (sulfur globules, magnetosomes, polyphosphatosomes), carbon-based inclusions (lipid bodies, carbonosomes, granulose, cyanophycin) as well as other organelle-like microcompartments (carboxysomes, anammoxosomes), thus making this volume a fascinating read for scientists with a keen interest in microbiology.

An up-to-date and comprehensive review of the inclusion bodies of prokaryotes Discusses the most prominent inclusion examples such as sulfur globules, gas vesicles, and lipid bodies Highlights relation of this research to new potential use of biopolymers

Autorentext

Dieter Jendrossek studied microbiology at the Georg-August University Göttingen, Germany in the department of Hans-Günter Schlegel. Since 1999 he is a Professor for Microbiology and Biochemistry at the University Stuttgart, Germany. His main interests lie in the elucidation of the metabolism of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) granules (carbonosomes), polyphosphate granules (polyphosphatosomes) and in the biochemistry of polyisoprene-cleaving enzymes (rubber oxygenases) in prokaryotes.

Inhalt

Polyphosphate Granules and Acidocalcisomes.- Bacterial Intracellular Sulphur Globules.- Biosynthesis and Intracellular Organization of Magnetosomes in Magnetotactic Bacteria.- Gas Vesicles of Archaea and Bacteria.- The Anammoxosome Organelle: The Power Plant of Anaerobic Ammonium-Oxidizing (anammox) Bacteria.- Bacterial Microcompartments.- The Cyanophycin Granule Peptide from Cyanobacteria.- Storage Polysaccharides in Prokaryotes: Glycogen, Granulose and Starch-like Granules.- Wax Ester and Triacylglycerol Inclusions.- Carbonosomes.