ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF CELLULAR DIVISION IN ESCHERICHIA COLI

Abstract

Conti , S. F. (Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, N. Y.) and M. E. Gettner . Electron microscopy of cellular division in Escherichia coli . J. Bacteriol. 83: 544–550. 1962.—Exponentially growing cells of Escherichia coli were fixed in formalin, exposed to uranyl nitrate, dehydrated at low temperatures with ethanol, and embedded in methacrylate. Polymerization was carried out at −70 C, by exposure of specimens to radiation from a cobalt 60 source. Electron micrographs revealed that cellular division occurs by the centripetal growth of the cell wall. The fine structure of the cytoplasm, nuclear apparatus, cell wall, and cytoplasmic membrane was also studied.