FIG. 5.

Modulation of autophagy affects B. abortus 2308 infection. HeLa cells were incubated with or without 3-methyladenine (+3MA; 10 mM) or wortmannin (W; 10 nm) or without FCS-glutamine for 15 min before bacterial inoculation. Then the cells were infected with strain 2308 for 1 h with or without drugs or without FCS, washed, and further incubated with fresh cell culture medium supplemented with gentamicin for 23 h. Cells were lysed, and the number of CFU were estimated. Inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine or wortmannin significantly (P < 0.01%) reduces the number of isolated viable intracellular strain 2308, while starvation conditions without FCS increase the bacterial yield at 24 h postinoculation. Columns represent the averages of triplicate treatments ± standard deviations.