Abstract
Clinical isolates of Legionella pneumophila, L. micdadei, L. bozemanii, and L. dumoffii were grown on charcoal-yeast extract agar from a living-medium inoculum and prepared for transmission electron microscopy by three different methods. Cells of all four Legionella species possessed cytoplasmic vacuoles, a gram-negative type of cell envelope with a dense peptidoglycan-like layer, a ruthenium red-positive polysaccharide capsule, and a single subpolar flagellum. The dense polysaccharide capsule seen on cells of L. micdadei was separated from the outer membrane by an extra layer of electron-lucent material that was not present on cells of the other species examined.
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