Electron microscopic study of Mycobacterium leprae membrane.

We report the results of the study by transmission electron microscopy of normal Mycobacterium leprae in the tissues of experimentally infected armadillos. Several fixation procedures were used and compared to those previously employed in the study of M. leprae in lepromatous leprosy patients. The results show that the ultrastructure of M. leprae is identical in both hosts. The demonstration of a symmetric membrane profile in M. leprae in armadillos confirms our previous results. This characteristic of the M. leprae membrane is peculiar in that it is not shared by any of the easily cultivable species of mycobacteria we have studied so far.