Resumo

SERRANO, JA; SANDOVAL, AH; RAMIREZ, N  e  VENTOSA, A. A simplified method for the morphological study of halophilic actinomycetes by combining light microscopy with scanning electron microscopy. Rev. Soc. Ven. Microbiol. [online]. 2003, vol.23, n.1, pp.42-46. ISSN 1315-2556.

    It is a simplified technique that proposes the morphological studies of Halophilic Actinomycetes isolated from hypersaline environments in Southern Mexico and Spain, by combining light microscopy with scanning electron microscopy. For cultivating the halophilic microorganisms, the Actinomycetes were inoculated onto a solid medium (MH), and incubated at 37ºC for one week. Prior to incubation, fragments of sterile coverslips were introduced at a 45º angle in the agar medium. Later, these coverslip fragments were retrieved and washed in a salt solution containing 10% NaCl and 2% MgSO₄. Afterwards they were fixed in a 2.5% glutaraldehyde solution and then washed and dehydrated through an ethanol series (70 to 100%). These samples were stained by either Gram or Kinyoun methodology. Alternatively, some of the coverslip fragments were processed for observation using a Jeol-JSM 6300 scanning electron microscope. Through these simplified techniques, the tinctorial and morphological details were preserved. The cellular morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy. By these methods, some details of the filamentous organisms were observed including external cellular components such as spores and unusual crystalline structures exhibiting different forms, arrangements and sizes.

Palavras-chave : Actinomicetos halógenos; microscopía electrónica de barrido; microscopía óptica.