Fine-structure evidence for cell membrane partitioning of the nucleoid and cytoplasm during bud formation in Hyphomonas species

P. M. Zerfas, M. Kessel, E. J. Quintero, R. M. Weiner*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hyphomonas spp. reproduce by budding from the tip of the prosthecum, distal to the main body of the reproductive cell; thus, the chromosome must travel through the prosthecum to enter the progeny, the swarm cell. When viewed by electron microscopy, negatively stained whole cells, ultrathin- sectioned cells, and freeze-etched and frozen hydrated cells all had marked swellings of the cytoplasmic membrane (CM) in the prosthecum which are termed pseudovesicles (PV). PV were separated by constrictions in the contiguous CM. In replicating cells, PV housed ribosomes and DNA, which was identified by its fibrillar appearance and by lactoferrin-gold labeling. The micrographs also revealed that the CM bifurcates at the origin of the prosthecum so that one branch partitions the main body of the reproductive cell from the prosthecum and swarm cell. The results of this fine-structure analysis suggest models explaining DNA segregation and the marked asymmetric polarity of the budding reproductive cell.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)148-156
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Bacteriology
Volume179
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1997

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