An electron microscopy study of Legionella pneumophila after in vitro and in vivo culture.
The ultrastructure of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (Philadelphia Strain) was studied by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) following in vitro and in vivo culture. The results obtained were identical for all the samples tested; the structure belonged to the prokaryotic type, with features consistent with the known structure of Gram-negative rods. A characteristic feature is the loose undulated outer membrane, a peptidoglycan layer which was difficult to visualize and was better seen in lysed bacteria. The outermost layer was stained by ruthenium red for polysaccharides. In guinea-pig lung tissue and in chick embryo yolk sac membranes, the bacteria were more often intracellular in intracytoplasmic ribosome-studded vacuoles.
Surgot
M
M
Laboratoire National de la Santé, Faculté de Médecine Alexis Carrel, Lyon, France.
Barioz
C M
CM
Nowicki
M
M
Bornstein
N
N
Fleurette
J
J
D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003470:Culture Media; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007875:Legionella / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D015017:Yolk Sac / Q000382:microbiology
D003470:Culture Media