Microbial Physiology and Diversity

Paper Code: 
MBL 123
Credits: 
05
Contact Hours: 
75
Objective: 

To enable students to- • Understand Photosynthesis in microbes. • Understand different type of bacterial fermentations. • To learn about different types of chemolithotropic pathways. • To have an overview of nitrogen metabolism, purines and puyrimidines. • To learn about signaling mechanisms and microbial response to stress

Unit I: 
Utilization of sugars and Bacterial fermentations
 

Utilization of lactose , galactose, maltose. Alcoholic fermentation, lactate fermentation homo and heterolactic fermentations, butyrate and butanol acetone fermentation, mixed acid fermentations. Rumen as an anaerobic system

 

Unit II: 
Photosynthesis
 

Oxygenic photosynthetic microbes and anoxygenic photosynthetic microbes. Brief account of photosynthetic and accessory pigments- chlorophyll and bacteriochlorophylls, rhodopsin, carotenoids, phycobiliproteins; oxygenic-anoxygenic photosynthesis, autotrophic generation of ATP Carbohydrates - anabolism; fixation of CO2 - Calvin cycle

 

Unit III: 
Chemolithotrophy
 

Oxidative transformation of metals: sulphur oxidation, iron oxidation, ammonia oxidation and hydrogen oxidation. Microbial diversity in anoxic ecosystem - methanogens - reduction of carbon monoxide - reduction of iron, sulphur, manganese, nitrate and oxygen

 

Unit IV: 
Nitrogen metabolism, Purines and Pyrimidines
 

Biological nitrogen fixation process, components of nitrogenase enzyme, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, Denitrification, biosynthesis and degradation of amino acids. Biosynthesis and degradation of purines and pyrimidines, salvage pathway.

 

Unit V: 
Signaling mechanisms and Microbial stress response
 

Prokaryotic signaling, Two component signaling systems Quorum sensing and bacterial pheromones, intracellular signaling, signaling pathways. Microbial stress response, stress proteins Cold and heat shocks, oxidative, and starvation stress. Bioluminescence.

 

ESSENTIAL READINGS: 

1. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology by W.H. Elliot and Daphne C. Elliot, Oxford University Press, (3rd Edition), 2005. 2. Biochemistry, 5th edition L Stryer, W H Freeman and Co., New York, 2001 3. Biochemistry, D.Voet and J.G.Voet, John Wiley & Sons, (2nd Edition), 1995. 4. Biochemistry, J. David Rawn, Panima Publishing Corporation, 1st Indian Reprint, 2004. 5. General Microbiology, R Y Stanier, J L Ingharam, M L Wheelies, P R Painter, Mac Millan Education Ltd, 1999 6. Microbial Diversity, D Colwd, Academic press, 1999. 7. Microbial Physiology, 4th edition, A G Moat and J W Foster, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2002 8. Principles of Biochemistry, Lehninger ,Nelson and Cox, (3rd Edition), 1999.

REFERENCES: 

An Introduction to Nitrogen fixation, J R Gallon and A E Chaplin, Cassell Education Ltd, 1987 10. Biochemistry, 23rd edition, Harper, Appleton and Lange Prentice Hall, 1993 11. Biology of Microorganisms, 10th edition, T D Brock, M T Madigan, Pearson Education, Inc., 2003 12. Instant Notes- Biochemistry (1st Indian Edition), B.D. Hames and N.M. Hooper, Viva Books Pvt, Ltd., 2001. 13. Microbial diversity: current perspectives and potential applications, Satynarayana T. & Johri B.N. I.K. International Pvt. Ltd. 2005 14. Microbial Physiology and Metabolism, D R Caldwell, Brown Publishers, 1995 15. Microbiology-a Laboratory Manual, 6th edition, J G Cappuccino and N Sherman, Addison Wesley, Pearson Education, Inc., 2006 16. The biochemistry of Cell signaling, (Indian edition) Helmreich EJM, Oxford University Press, 2005

Academic Year: