Summary
The particulate fraction in cell-free extracts of three Chlorobium strains was examined. It contains two structural components: membrane fragments and chlorobium vesicles. These two components have been separated, and certain of their properties compared. Both consist largely of lipid and protein. The lipids of the membrane fraction are predominantly phospholipids, but include a glycolipid which contains galactose, rhamnose and an unidentified sugar. The vesicles are highly enriched in bacteriochlorophyll, and contain large amounts of a monogalactosyl diglyceride; their content of phospholipid is low. All the succinic and malic dehydrogenase activity of the particulate fraction is located in the membranes, whereas NADH- and NADPH-linked dye reductases occur in both membranes and vesicles.
The vesicles in crude extracts are unstable upon storage; they rapidly lose their characteristic structure, accompanied by a destruction of bacteriochlorophyll. These changes can be prevented by brief treatment of extracts with glutaraldehyde.
Many of the isolated vesicles contain from 10 to 25 regular intravesicular structures, which are about 10 nm wide and circular, with a central hole 3 nm in diameter.
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Cruden, D.L., Stanier, R.Y. The characterization of chlorobium vesicles and membranes isolated from green bacteria. Archiv. Mikrobiol. 72, 115–134 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00409518
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00409518