title: Comparative studies of the cell structures of Mycobacterium leprae and M. tuberculosis using the electron microscopy freeze-substitution technique.
abstract: The cell envelope and cytoplasmic architecture of the Mycobacterium leprae Thai-53 strain were examined using the freeze-substitution technique of electron microscopy and compared with those of the M. tuberculosis H37Rv strain. Both strains had similarly multilayered envelope architectures composed of an electron-translucent layer, a peptidoglycan layer and the plasma membrane, from outside to inside. A comparison of the structures of these two mycobacteria revealed that the M. leprae cell was smaller in size and had a thinner peptidoglycan layer than the M. tuberculosis cell. The cell widths measured on electron micrographs were 0.44 microm for M. tuberculosis and 0.38 microm for M. leprae. The peptidoglycan layer of M. leprae was 4-5 nm, while the corresponding layer of M. tuberculosis was 10-15 nm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan. takade@bact.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akemi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takade
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Umeda
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Kazunobu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Amako
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017110:Freeze Substitution / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000032:analysis; D016613:Plastic Embedding
chemical_list: D010457:Peptidoglycan