Electron Microscope Study of Whole Mounts and Thin Sections of Micromonospora chalcea ATCC 12452

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The use of whole mounts in the electron microscope study of Micromonospora chalcea is a rapid and simple method for obtaining morphologic information about both the spore and sporophore. Spore anomalies were observed by this method, and their anatomical basis was confirmed by thin sections. Spore shape and surface ornamentation varied with the age of the spore and should be taken into consideration when characterizing and comparing the spores of various isolates. The spore of M. chalcea is not an endospore as found either in the bacilli or in the thermoactinomycetes; it lacks the multilaminar inner coat found in these thermoresistant spores. The spore of M. chalcea appears to contain an outer coat, or possibly coats, and a less electron-dense, thick inner coat or cortex. The spore of M. chalcea differs from the spore of streptomycetes in lacking a sheath around the hyphal wall. This sheath surrounding the hyphal wall in streptomycetes contains the spore ornamentation such as spines or hairs, but in M. chalcea spore ornamentation arises in the outer portion of the spore wall as wart-like protuberances. The spore of M. chalcea appears to develop its coats in a centripetal fashion similar to streptomycetes. Cross walls in M. chalcea are double and appear to develop in a manner similar to streptomycetes in which the hyphal wall appears to “peel apart,” the inner portions being continuous with the cross walls. Mesosomes and nuclei found in thin section of M. chalcea appear similar to those found in streptomycetes and other gram-positive bacteria. The electron microscope data obtained for M. chalcea ATCC 12452 in this study appear to be representative of the morphologic and anatomical features found in other species of Micromonospora that we have studied.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: