The Persistence of Chlamydia trachomatis Elementary Body Cell Walls in Human Polymorphonuclear Leucocytes and Induction of a Chemiluminescent Response

• Published in: Journal of general microbiology Vol. 135; no. 1; pp. 95 - 104
• Main Authors: ZVILLICH, MENACHEM, SAROV, ISRAEL
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Soc General Microbiol 01.01.1989; New York, NY Cambridge University Press
• Subjects: Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Wall - ultrastructure; Chlamydia trachomatis; Chlamydia trachomatis - ultrastructure; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Luminescent Measurements; Lymphogranuloma Venereum - blood; Microbiology; Microscopy, Electron; Neutrophils - metabolism; Neutrophils - ultrastructure; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; Time Factors; Biodegradation; Human; Chlamydiaceae; Gel electrophoresis; Granulocyte; Chemiluminescence; Chlamydia trachomatis; Electron microscopy; In vitro; Cell wall; Chlamydiales; Bacteria; Phagocytosis
• ISSN: 0022-1287; 1350-0872; 1465-2080
• DOI: 10.1099/00221287-135-1-95

Virology Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, and Soroka University Hospital, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel ABSTRACT Human polymorphonuclear leucocytes (HPMN) were incubated with [ 35 S]methionine-labelled Chlamydia trachomatis (serovar L2/434/Bu) elementary bodies (EB) and EB cell walls. No net loss in the TCA-precipitable radioactivity was observed over 24 h in the HPMN that had taken up EB cell walls. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the labelled C. trachomatis EB and EB cell wall proteins extracted from the HPMN at 2 and 24 h after infection demonstrated the persistence of most of the chlamydial cell wall polypeptides. Analysis of extracts of the HPMN that had taken up either EB or EB cell walls on Urografin density gradients at 2 and 24 h after infection, and electron microscopic observations on fractions representing the peaks, demonstrated the persistence of the EB cell walls in the HPMN. Electron microscopic observations of HPMN that had taken up EB or EB cell walls demonstrated EB cell walls in the HPMN phagosomes at 24 h after infection. The HPMN exposed to EB and EB cell walls of C. trachomatis gave chemiluminescent (CL) responses with peaks respectively 12 and 7 times greater than the peak value of the control. The significance of the persistence of the EB cell wall polypeptides and cell walls in the HPMN and activation of the HPMN to produce oxygen radicals (i.e. a CL response), and its possible relation to rheumatic diseases, is discussed.