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Triple-layered structure of mycobacterial cell wall: Evidence for the existence of a polysaccharide-rich outer layer in 18 mycobacterial species

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Abstract

An additional outer wall layer, composed mainly of acidic polysaccharides, was revealed in 18 species of mycobacteria by ruthenium red staining in electron microscopy. This report deals with the description of this additional layer. The ultrastructural implications at the level of the mycobacterial cell wall model and also the possible physiological role of this layer are briefly discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tuberculosis and Mycobacteriology Unit, Department of Bacteriology and Mycology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France

    Nalin Rastogi & Hugo L. David

  2. Electron Microscopy Unit, Department of Molecular Biology, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France

    Claude Frehel

Authors
  1. Nalin Rastogi
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  2. Claude Frehel
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  3. Hugo L. David
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Rastogi, N., Frehel, C. & David, H.L. Triple-layered structure of mycobacterial cell wall: Evidence for the existence of a polysaccharide-rich outer layer in 18 mycobacterial species. Current Microbiology 13, 237–242 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01568645

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01568645

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