Ultrastructure of Rickettsia sibirica during interaction with the host cell
Popov, V.L.; Dyuisalieva, R.G.; Smirnova, N.S.; Tarasevich, I.V.; Rybkin, N.N.
Acta Virologica 30(6): 494-498
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0001-723X PMID: 2881469 Document Number: 277553
Rickettsia sibirica (strain Netsvetaev) was found within large translucent spaces in the cytoplasm of L-929 cell monolayer cultures on day 6 postinfection (p.i.). These rickettsiae were rod shaped 0.3 .times. 10 .mu.m in size encircled by a halo of up to 200 nm wide corresponding to a capsule-like coat. Directly on the cell wall was a 12 nm thick microcapsule in which subunit structures with 12 nm thick spacing could be recognized. The cell wall membrane was 14 nm thick with a wider internal layer occassionally in a section found split into two electron-dense lamels; the internal layer corresponded to peptidoglycan. The periplasmic space with an average thickness of 5 nm separated the cell wall from a 7 nm thick cytoplasmic membrane. The ultrastructure of R. sibirica was similar to that of other rickettsiae, although the capsule-like coat was thicker than in spotted fever (SF) group rickettsiae.