[Effect on the orientation of the membrane vesicles of Escherichia coli of various methods of cell disintegration].

As was demonstrated using the Con-A polymer, membranous fractions prepared by various cell disintegration procedures are a heterogeneous population. The population includes right side out vesicles and inside out vesicles whose proportion depends on the procedure of disintegration. The orientation of these vesicles was studied by electron microscopy, their ATPase activity was assayed by cytochemical techniques, and the morphology of the vesicles was also investigated. The authors discuss the possible effect of Con-A on the reorganisation of membranes and the activity of ATPase.