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Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1998 Oct;51(10):786–788. doi: 10.1136/jcp.51.10.786

Effect of desiccation on the ultrastructural appearances of Acinetobacter baumannii and Acinetobacter lwoffii.

E T Houang 1, R T Sormunen 1, L Lai 1, C Y Chan 1, A S Leong 1
PMCID: PMC500936  PMID: 10023344

Abstract

An Acinetobacter baumannii isolate survived desiccation beyond 30 days and an Acinetobacter lwoffii isolate up to 21 days. For both species, desiccation resulted in a significant increase in the proportion of round cells (A baumannii, 40% to 80%; A lwoffii, 51% to 63%) and a significant decrease in rod shaped cells (A baumannii, 58% to 13%; A lwoffii, 46% to 34%). Electronmicroscopic examination showed that there was also a corresponding significant increase in the cell wall thickness (A baumannii, up to 53%; A lwoffii, up to 26%). Desiccated A baumannii cells became more electron-dense and had significantly thicker cell walls (x1.3) than those of A lwoffii. Cell wall structures of A baumannii strains with different abilities to resist desiccation deserve further study.

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Selected References

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