Fig. 4

Negative contrast preparations of UVC treated and untreated C. burnetii NMII. Bacteria were UVC treated at 100 µW/cm² for 20 min and negative contrast preparations were done after 24 h (A) and 48 h (B) incubation. Untreated controls were prepared accordingly after 24 h (C) and 48 h (D). Most C. burnetii treated with UVC (A, B) have large diameters resembling LCV (arrows indicate examples). Small pleomorphic particles representing break-down products of degraded bacteria are present at 24 h after UVC treatment (A) and increased at 48 h after UVC treatment (B). In the untreated controls (C, D), thick LCV (arrows, examples) and thin SCV (arrowheads, examples) can be distinguished at 24 and 48 h. Bars = 1 μm