Ultrastructure of free-living and nitrogen-fixing forms of Rhizobium meliloti as revealed by freeze-etching.

Freeze-etching of Rhizobium meliloti provided considerable insight into the ultrastructure of this bacterium and into the changes accompanying the transformation from the free-living rod forms to the nitrogen-fixing bacteroid forms. In the small rods, one cleavage plane was revealed at the level of the cell wall and a second at the level of the plasma membrane. Very little structure was evident at the cell wall level, but distinctly different convex and concave fracture faces were exposed at the cell membrane cleavage plane. During the transformation into the bacteroidal state the wall decreased in thickness, became less rigid, and developed a particulate surface. In addition, changes in particle density were observed in the plasma membrane. The fine structure of the plant membranes, the infection threads, and the arrangement of the bacteroids within the plant cells also were revealed.