Electron Microscopy of Colicin I-Producing Cells

Electron microscope examination of mitomycin C-induced strains of Escherichia coli colicinogenic for colicins Ia or Ib reveals particles of approximately 15 to 20 nm in diameter associated with the cell surface. Such structures are not present on uninduced colicinogenic strains nor on a mitomycin C-treated non-colicinogenic strain. In contrast to wild-type colicinogenic strains, induction of a colicinogenic strain known to be lacking the specific colicin I receptor was shown to result in the release of colicin activity into the cell medium. Examination of such induced mutants by electron microscopy showed their cell surfaces to be free of the particles observed on the wild-type strain. The cell medium of such induced mutant strains contained large numbers of particles of similar size and shape to those found on the surface of induced colicinogenic wild-type strains.