Volume of different cell compartments (average±standard deviation) obtained from serial ultrathin sectioning [OM=outer membrane, PM=plasma membrane]

Range Whole cell 1.16±0.2: OM 0.02±0 periplasm 0.23±0.07 PM 0.02±0 cytoplasm 0.92±0.16 μm^3
Organism Bacteria Escherichia coli
Reference Hiroyuki Yamada et al., Structome analysis of Escherichia coli cells by serial ultrathin sectioning reveals the precise cell profiles and the ribosome density, Microscopy, Volume 66, Issue 4, August 2017, Pages 283–294, link p.288 table 4 PubMed ID28854579
Method P.286 left column bottom paragraph: "In this study, E. coli was selected as a target of the structome analysis because a large number of molecular biological studies were performed with this microorganism. E. coli cells were cut into 65 nm thick serial ultrathin sections after rapid cryofixation and freeze-substitution. In addition to the structome analysis by serial ultrathin sectioning, PCM (phase contrast microscopy) and SEM (scanning electron microscopy) examinations were performed on the same bacterial sample because the fundamental morphological studies were achieved with these observation techniques."
Comments P.288 left column, bottom paragraph: "The volume of each of the nine E. coli cells was calculated using measurements taken with ImageJ/Fiji software, as described in the Materials and Methods section. Data regarding the three-dimensional profiles of each cell are shown in Table 4 and the proportion (%) of OM, periplasm, PM and cytoplasm are summarized in Fig. 3. The average whole-cell (as outlined by the OM) and cytoplasmic (as outlined by the PM) volumes were 1.16 ± 0.20 fl (ranging from 0.94 to 1.54 fl) and 0.92 ± 0.16 fl (ranging from 0.75 to 1.19 fl), respectively. In addition, the average OM, PM, and periplasmic volumes were 0.02 ± 0.00 fl (ranging from 0.01 to 0.02 fl), 0.02 ± 0.00 fl (ranging from 0.02 to 0.03 fl) and 0.23 ± 0.07 fl (ranging from 0.17 to 0.35 fl), respectively." femto-liter (fl)=μm^3=10^-15L
Entered by Ron Milo - Admin
ID 117347