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. 1992 Aug;174(15):5123–5126. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.15.5123-5126.1992

Membrane ultrastructure of alkaliphilic Bacillus species studied by rapid-freeze electron microscopy.

S Khan 1, D M Ivey 1, T A Krulwich 1
PMCID: PMC206330  PMID: 1629169

Abstract

Cells of Bacillus firmus OF4 and Bacillus alcalophilus were examined by rapid-freeze freeze-fracture and freeze-substitution electron microscopy. No special vesicular structures linked to growth at alkaline pH were found, either within or associated with the cytoplasmic membrane. The cytoplasmic membranes of the alkaliphilic bacilli and the neutrophilic Bacillus subtilis BD99 were indistinguishable. Distinctive intramembrane particle rings, presumed to be flagellar structures on the basis of distribution and morphological characteristics, were found in all of these species. These observations indicate that the adaptations required to effect oxidative phosphorylation and flagellar rotation at extreme alkaline pH occur without gross morphological rearrangement.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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