[Cellular structure of propionibacteria during their multiplication]

The aim of the present study was to determine the structure of bacterial cells from Propionibacterium genus as well as their structure during the cellular division. On the basis of the observations made in the electron transmission microscope, in uranyl-acetates-tained preparations of ultra-thin specimens of bacteria, it was stated that propionic bacteria appeared in a shape of short rods, possessing regular profiles of cell walls as opposed to Gram-negative bacteria with a very creased edge line. Besides, it was observed that division of cells had place by formation of septum, most probably preceded by the division of mezosome, which is a signal for creating the divisional wall. In the conducted studies, the following phenomena were started: presence of membraneous structure of mezosomes, which is linked with the chain of circular DNA in bacterial cell, appearance of numerous ribosomes in the regions of tangled threads of nucleic acids, and existence of other undefinite elements. Mezosome present in the cell of propionic bacteria is probably linked with the cell wall at least in two places and on the surface of external cell wall at the site of its linking; it causes the change in electronic density, demonstrated by the undefined holes or scars in cell wall. This finding gives the possibility of distinguishing this genus of Propionibacterium, in the respect of morphology, from other bacteria what, in the opinion of the authors, is a new achievement in the studies on the structure of propionic bacteria.