Peptidoglycan in the Cell Wall of the Primary Intracellular Symbiote of the Pea Aphid
EDWARD J. HOUK 1,
GARETH W. GRIFFITHS 2,
NICHOLAs E. HADJOKAS 3, and
STANLEY D. BECK 3
1 Naval Biosciences Laboratory, University of California, Oakland 94625
2 Max-Planck-Institut für Biologische Kybernetik, 74 Tübingen l, Germany
3 Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706
Primary intracellular symbiotes of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), when fixed with potassium permanganate, revealed a distinctly staining area between the cytoplasmic membrane and the outer cell-wall envelope. This area is thought to be analogous to the peptidoglycan complex of the Eubacteriales. In addition, the diagnostic bacterial peptidoglycan amino compounds, muramic acid and diaminopimelic acid, were detected in a hydrochloric acid hydrolyzate of isolated symbiotes.
Submitted on February 25, 1977
Revised on June 8, 1977
