REASSEMBLY INVITRO OF SUPERFICIAL CELL-WALL COMPONENTS OF SPIRILLUM-PUTRIDICONCHYLIUM

The superficial wall layers of S. putridiconchylium can be extracted by 2 methods: cationic substitution, in which Na+ replaces essential Ca2+, and lowered pH (2.5) in the presence of Ca2+. In the 1st method, the 2 superficial layers are disrupted and an outer membrane component (OMC) is extracted; readdition of Ca2+ to these 3 components results in a reassembly of the arrays about a tubular OMC core which mimics the in vitro condition. In the 2nd method, the superficial layers are solubilized and the outer membrane sloughs off the bacterial wall as vesicles. In vitro reassembly of an atypical array occurs over the surface of these outer membrane vesicles after the addition of the solubilized extract and Ca2+ to the reaction mixture at pH 7.0.