Capture of Essential Trace Elements and Phosphate Accumulation as a Basis for the Antimicrobial Activity of a New Ultramicrobacterium—Microbacterium lacticum Str. F2E

Microbial interactions play an important role in natural habitat. The long-term coevolution of various species leads to the adaptation of certain types of microorganisms as well as to the formation of a wide variety of interactions such as competitive, antagonistic, pathogenic and parasitic relationships. The aim of this work is a comprehensive study of a new ultramicrobacterium Microbacterium lacticum str. F2E, isolated from perennial oil sludge, which is characterized by high antimicrobial activity and a unique ultrastructural organization of the cell envelope, which includes globular surface ultrastructures with a high negative charge. A previously undescribed mechanism for the antagonistic action of the F2E strain against the prey bacterium is proposed. This mechanism is based on the ability to preferentially capture essential microelements, in which charge interactions and the property of phosphate accumulation may play a significant role. The revealed type of intermicrobial interaction can probably be attributed to the non-contact type antagonistic action in the absence of any diffuse factor secreted by the antagonistic bacteria.