Electron Microscopic Observations on the Effects of Polymixin B Sulfate to Cell Walls of Chlamydia Organisms

Abstract

Cell walls of the both types of bodies, mature elementary body(EB) and developmental reticulate body(RB) of Chlamydia psittaci appear the triple layered membrane in thin section. However, in the preparations shadowcast or stained negatively EB cell wall shows hexagonally arrayed structure composed of subunits, 180A in diameter on the inside surface, whereas RB cell wall does not have this structure. Chemical analysis demonstrated that EB cell wall contained a similar amino acid composition with the cell walls of gram-negative bacteria, such as E.coli. The bactericidal effect of polymixin group against gram-negative bacilli is understood that the drug affects to the cell wall and destroys its osmotic regulation. Electron microscopy on the effects of the drug against the gram-negative bacteria revealed the formation of numerous number of projections on the cell wall surface and leakage of cell content through the projections. The present report is concerned with further studies on the fine structure of EB cell walls based on the observation on their response to polymixin B sulfate.