Magnetospirillum

Magnetospirillum is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic genus of magnetotactic bacterium, first isolated from pond water by the microbiologist R. P. Blakemore in 1975. They have a spiral (helical) shape and are propelled by a polar flagellum at each end of their cells. Four species have been described: M. magnetotacticum strain MS-1 (originally classified as Aquaspirillum magnetotacticum; M. magneticum strain AMB-1; M. gryphiswaldense and M. bellicus.