[Effect of ionizing radiation on the structural and ultrastructural organization of Mycobacterium rubrum]

The structural and ultrastructural organization of Mycobacterium rubrum cells was studied in the course of normal growth and in the conditions of irradiation. The cytomorphological differentiation of the bacterial membrane structure was shown as well as their functional role. Ionizing radiation was used as a tool for revealing the role of the membrane structures; the latter were found to be related to a certain cellular function. Damages of various, individually functioning membrane systems upon the action of ionizing radiation on the cell are described. Mesosomes are absent from the cells if the synthesis of peptidoglycan is inhibited, whereas hypersynthesis of the cell wall material is observed upon their hypertrophy. The content of mitochondrial analogs in the cell increases with the rate of metabolic processes. The function of cellular division is disturbed as a result of damages in the nucleoid DNA structure and degradation of nucleoidosomes. Changes in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism are also observed.