Zhang Y X, Meng X M, Zhang L H, Su H, Li R D
Sci Sin. 1980 Sep;23(9):1208-15.
Electron microscopy of purified Chlamydia trachomatis treated by various physical and chemical means shows that the envelope of the elementary bodies (EB) consists of the outer cell wall layer, the inner cell wall layer, and the inner membrane. The outer cell wall layer is mainly made up of granular subunits arranged in a hexagonal pattern and may be called the "mural structural protein layer". It forms together with the inner cell wall layer the rigid cell wall. The inner or protoplasmic membrane is not easily shown in the young EB. In the negatively stained specimen, a frail and easily removable superficial layer is seen adhering to the "mural structural protein layer". But in ultra-thin sections this superficial layer is not shown separately. There are fold-like grooves which are special structures probably related to reproduction. There are seen some EB's in binary fission, and a number of bodies very big in size yet having morphological characteristics of the EB's, which are in various processes of multiplication, such as binary fission, budding, and "multicentered germination". These observations give a challenge to the current opinion that only the initial bodies have the power of reproduction.
对经各种物理和化学方法处理的纯化沙眼衣原体进行电子显微镜观察显示，原体（EB）的包膜由外细胞壁层、内细胞壁层和内膜组成。外细胞壁层主要由呈六边形排列的颗粒亚基组成，可称为“壁结构蛋白层”。它与内细胞壁层一起形成刚性细胞壁。年轻的原体中不易显示内膜。在负染色标本中，可见一层脆弱且易于去除的表层附着在“壁结构蛋白层”上。但在超薄切片中，该表层未单独显示。有折叠状凹槽，这是可能与繁殖相关的特殊结构。可见一些正在进行二分裂的原体，以及一些体积非常大但具有原体形态特征的物体，它们正处于各种繁殖过程中，如二分裂、出芽和“多中心萌发”。这些观察结果对当前认为只有始体具有繁殖能力的观点提出了挑战。
