The fine structure of Rhodopseudomonas acidophila

Abstract

The morphology of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas acidophila strain P18aF1 1.2 has been investigated with the electron microscope. The cells grow by budding, the sessile buds eventually separating from the mother cells by constriction. In some dividing stages a belt-like structure was observed in the zone of division. Motile cells possess a subpolar tuft of unsheathed flagella. At the site of insertion of the flagella, the cell wall bears 12- to 14-nm wide holes or annuli through which the flagella probably pass. Motile cells readily lose their flagella.The structure of the surface revealed two distinct types: cells with a hexagonally patterned outer layer composed of ring-shaped elements and cells possessing a thick, fibrous capsule. Thin sections showed a well-developed thylakoid system arranged in piles and similar to that of other budding photosynthetic bacteria.The morphology of R. acidophila has been compared with that of R. palustris to show similarities and differences between the two species.