ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF FINE STRUCTURE OF CORYNEBACTERIUM RENALE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PILI

The first description of pili of the gram positive bacteria, Corynebacterium renale was completed. The number and length of pili were different among types of C. renale. Generally, type I strains possessed only a few pili, 0.1～4μ long, while type II strains possessed numerous long pili, 1〜10μ. Pili of type II strains tended to form thick bundles, attached side by side. Occasionally the bundles attained a length of several ten micron. Piliation of type III strains was various, many strains possessed pili similar to those of type I strains, 0.1～2μ long, but some possessed many pili. The diameter of the pili was, regardless of types, approximately 25～30Å. Existence of an outer-most layer of cell wall and a well developed intracytoplasmic membrane system was also noticeable