Structure of Purified Cell Walls of Dense Forms of Meningopneumonitis Organisms

Abstract

Purified suspensions of the dense form of the meningopneumonitis organism were prepared by differential centrifugation, sonic treatment, enzyme treatment and sucrose gradient centrifugation. When mixed with glass beads and sonically treated at 10 kc/sec, the particles were completely disrupted in 15 min. when 10-ml volumes were used, and in 5 min. when 2-ml volumes were used. Purified cell walls were prepared by enzyme treatment and sucrose gradient centrifugation. When shadow-cast in high vacuum with platinum-palladium alloy, the cell walls appeared to be composed of an inner layer of hexagonally packed macromolecular structures approximately 100 A in diameter and an outer layer of unknown material.