Summary Magnetotactic bacteria ( MTB ), which orient along the earth's magnetic field using magnetosomes, are ubiquitous and abundant in marine and freshwater environments. Previous phylogenetic analysis of diverse MTB has been limited to few cultured species and the most abundant and conspicuous members of natural populations, which were assigned to various lineages of the P roteobacteria , the N itrospirae phylum as well as...

Summary ‘ Candidatus Magnetobacterium bavaricum’ is unusual among magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) in terms of cell size (8–10 µm long, 1.5–2 µm in diameter), cell architecture, magnetotactic behaviour and its distinct phylogenetic position in the deep‐branching Nitrospira phylum. In the present study, improved magnetic enrichment techniques permitted high‐resolution scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray analysi...

Summary Lower Kane Cave, Wyoming (USA), has hydrogen sulfide‐bearing springs that discharge into the cave passage. The springs and cave stream harbour white filamentous microbial mats dominated by Epsilonproteobacteria . Recently, novel 16S rRNA gene sequences from the phylum Acidobacteria , subgroup 7, were found in these cave mats. Although Acidobacteria are ubiquitously distributed in many terrestrial and marine habitats, l...