The Isolation of Rhapidosomes from the Blue-green Alga, Spirulina

Abstract

Rhapidosomes, similar to those found in the flexibacterium Saprospira, have been isolated in the blue-green algal counterpart of Saprospira, Spirulina. They have been partially purified by renografin density gradients and shown to contain protein and a negligible amount of nucleic acid. Mitomycin C induction causes an increase in the number of rhapidosomes as well as an increase in the number of intact rhapidosome particles.