Premium
Electron Microscopic Studies on the Outer Layers of Staphylococcus aureus Using a Lytic Enzyme from Flavobacterium
Author(s) -
Futai Masamitsu,
Okabayashi Kinji,
Mizuno Den'ichi
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
japanese journal of microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0021-5139
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1972.tb00669.x
Subject(s) - cell wall , enzyme , staphylococcus aureus , bacteria , membrane , electron microscope , cell membrane , bacterial cell structure , microbiology and biotechnology , lytic cycle , bacterial outer membrane , flavobacterium , chemistry , cell , biology , biophysics , biochemistry , escherichia coli , virus , virology , pseudomonas , genetics , physics , gene , optics
The structure of the outer layers (cell wall and membrane) of Staphylococcus aureus was studied by electron microscope using a bacteriolytic enzyme from Flavobacterium sp. called the L‐11 enzyme. Comparative studies on the morphology of bacteria before and after treatment with this enzyme and cell wall and membrane fractions obtained from bacteria after the enzyme treatment led to the following conclusions. (1) The cell wall of S. aureus is composed of morphologically distinct two layers which are both susceptible to the L‐11 enzyme. (2) Between the cell wall and membrane, there is an electron opaque region which could not be stained using any of the methods tested. (3) Before treatment of bacteria with the enzyme the cell membrane could not be seen clearly. However, after enzyme treatment the membrane was clearly seen. (4) The infolding of the inner layer of the cell wall, forming a structure like a mesosome, was liberated by extensive enzyme treatment.