Fine structures of the capsules of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli K1

Abstract

The fine structures of the capsules of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli were determined by the rapid-freezing technique. The capsular layer was seen as a densely packed accumulation of fine fibers. The thickness of the capsule was approximately 160 nm in K. pneumoniae and less than 10 nm in E. coli K1. Two layers were observed in the Klebsiella capsule in which the arrangements of the fibers were different. The inner layer of the capsule was formed by a palisade of thick and dense bundles of the fibers standing at right angles on the surface of the outer membrane. In the outer layer these thick bundles of fibers loosened into fine fibers which spread over the bacterial surface, forming a fine network structure.