Membrane structures of Acholeplasma laidlawii and its virus.

The main types of ultrastructures found in the freeze-fracture faces of Acholeplasma laidlawii S 2 and its virus MV-Lg-L 172 were (1) particles 7-19 nm in diameter, mostly located in the convex cytoplasmic fracture faces. (2) small bulges or aggregates, 13-25 nm in diameter, which occupied only limited areas of both inner and outer fracture faces of some mycoplasmas, (3) numerous tiny grains and/or spikes 2-6 nm in diameter, protruding from a finely structured background, especially in the outer concave mycoplasmal fracture faces, and (4) linear structures, most probably fibrils and thicker filaments, both in the fracture faces and around mycoplasmas and viruses and connected with them. There was a high degree of structural similarity between mycoplasmal and viral membranes: no obvious significant difference was found.