The structure of Mycoplasma pneumoniae as determined by the freeze-substitution technique.
The ultrastructure of Mycoplasma pneumoniae FH was examined by a mild fixation method, the freeze-substitution technique, for thin-section transmission electron microscopy and the following new findings were obtained. In the cytoplasm, no nuclear region could be clearly identified. The cytoplasm was filled with many ribosome-like particles, fine fibers and electron-dense particles. The electron-dense particles appeared to be similar to the particles found in the nucleoid region of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and might therefore possibly be a kind of DNA binding protein. The cell surface was completely enveloped with a thin opaque layer. The presence of this surface layer prevented any direct contact of the cell surface with that of the two M. pneumoniae cells.
Amako
K
K
Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Takade
A
A
Takada
T
T
Watanabe
T
T
Nakamura
M
M
D017110:Freeze Substitution; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000648:ultrastructure*