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. 2005 Nov 11;1(3):e23. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.0010023

Figure 3. Human Neutrophils Efficiently Kill Vegetative B. anthracis Intra- and Extracellularly.

Figure 3

(A) TEM of neutrophils infected with wild-type B. anthracis (arrow) at an MOI of 1:1. Bar = 1μm. Inset indicates the inoculum. Bar = 100 nm.

(B) Scanning electron microscopy of neutrophils infected with vegetative form of the toxin-producing strain for 30 min. Phagocytosed bacteria shown by arrow. Neutrophils efficiently engulf B. anthracis despite their size. Bar = 5μm.

(C) Neutrophils kill B. anthracis efficiently. Activated neutrophils were infected with wild-type, capsule-, or toxin-expressing vegetative bacteria for indicated time points at an MOI of 10:1.

(D) B. anthracis capsule and toxin are not antiphagocytic. Activated neutrophils were pretreated with the phagocytosis inhibiting cytochalsin D (10 μg/ml), infected with wild-type, capsule-, or toxin-expressing vegetative bacteria at an MOI of 1:1, and incubated for 30 min.