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. 1974 Jun;118(3):1158–1166. doi: 10.1128/jb.118.3.1158-1166.1974

Electron Microscopy of the Cell Wall of Rickettsia prowazeki

E L Palmer a, L P Mallavia a,1, T Tzianabos a, J F Obijeski a
PMCID: PMC246866  PMID: 4133612

Abstract

Purified Rickettsia prowazeki were found to undergo morphological changes resembling plasmolysis when stained with uranyl acetate, resulting in rod-like forms. Sequential electron micrographs of disintegrating organisms provide evidence for the cell wall origin of these rod-like forms. The substructure of the cell wall was discerned by using negative-contrast electron microscopy. The wall was found to be composed of repetitive subunits with a periodicity of 13 nm and was surrounded by a thin membrane.

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Selected References

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