Calcification of membranes isolated from Bacterionema matruchotii.

Lytic cultures of Bacterionema matruchotii were found to release vesicular membranes into the medium which could be obtained virtually free of other cell structures by differential centrifugation. Suspension of the membrane fraction in a metastable calcium phosphate solution resulted in the formation of both amorphous mineral and hydroxyapatite. Examination by electron microscopy showed that mineralization was associated with the membrane bilayers. The results provide further evidence that calcification of B matruchotii is related to intracytoplasmic membranes.