Membrane fouling characteristics in the membrane-coupled activated sludge system were investigated. The influence of the floc size variation on the filtration resistance was analyzed using resistance-in-series model and mixed liquor was fractionated into three components to verify which component would give rise to a major contribution to the total resistance. The microbial floc size was rapidly reduced during the initial 4~6 hours of operation, and then decreased slightly but steadily, followed by leveling off at the size of 20 $mu$m. The specific resistance of activated sludge increased with operation time, and measured values of specific resistance were matched well with the values estimated on the basis of the mean particle size in the mixed liquor. The contribution of soluble organics and cells to the total resistance was relativdy small compared with that of the supematant. Colloidal particles in the supematant showed much higher specific resistance than that of microbial floc, and played the most important role in the cake resistance.