title: Ultrastructural features of microbial colony organization.
abstract: The ultrastructure of microbial colonies was studied. Inside the colonies three types of intercellular contacts were demonstrated. In the colonies of Gram-negative bacteria, the cells were found to be connected by tight adhesions of outer membranes of the cell walls and membrane bridges. In the colonies of Gram-positive bacteria, the intercellular contacts were formed by fusion of peptidoglucan layers of the cell walls. Bacterial cells were differentiated by the presence of a capsule-like envelope. The obtained data indicate the existence of elements of cellular cooperation and specialization in microbial colonies.
authors.affiliation: 1st Pavlov Medical Institute, Leningrad, USSR.
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Tetz
authors.forename: O V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Rybalchenko
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Savkova
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001951:Brevibacterium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012763:Shigella flexneri / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure