Skip to main content
PMC home page
The American Journal of Pathology logoLink to The American Journal of Pathology
. 1986 Aug;124(2):226–237.

Ultrastructural morphometric analysis of Brucella abortus-infected trophoblasts in experimental placentitis. Bacterial replication occurs in rough endoplasmic reticulum.

T D Anderson, N F Cheville
PMCID: PMC1888286  PMID: 3090887

Abstract

Trophoblasts in normal and Brucella abortus-infected caprine placentas were examined by ultrastructural morphometric analysis to establish structural relationships of B abortus with cytoplasmic organelles; brucellae were identified with colloidal gold-labeled anti-B abortus bovine IgG. Cytotrophoblasts had large numbers of B abortus in cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum; binucleate trophoblasts did not contain bacteria. In infected trophoblasts there was a significant hypertrophy of B abortus-filled rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and a corresponding reduction in normal-appearing RER. Volume and surface density of RER in trophoblasts were: normal placentas (control), 2.8% and 0.30 sq mu; infected placentas, 27.9% (27.4% of which contained B abortus) and 0.56 sq mu (cells containing B abortus) and 3.3% and 0.34 sq mu (cells not containing B abortus). These data suggest that B abortus replicates within the RER of trophoblasts, possibly for synthesis and glycosylation of bacterial membrane proteins.

Full text

PDF
230

Images in this article

228Figure 1
on p.228
230Figure 2
on p.230
230Figure 3
on p.230
231Figure 4
on p.231
232Figure 5
on p.232
232Figure 6
on p.232
232Figure 7
on p.232
232Figure 8
on p.232
234Figure 9
on p.234
234Figure 10
on p.234

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ANDERSON J. D., SMITH H. THE METABOLISM OF ERYTHRITOL BY BRUCELLA ABORTUS. J Gen Microbiol. 1965 Jan;38:109–124. doi: 10.1099/00221287-38-1-109. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Alexander B., Schnurrenberger P. R., Brown R. R. Numbers of Brucella abortus in the placenta, umbilicus and fetal fluid of two naturally infected cows. Vet Rec. 1981 Jun 6;108(23):500–500. doi: 10.1136/vr.108.23.500. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Anderson T. D., Cheville N. F., Meador V. P. Pathogenesis of placentitis in the goat inoculated with Brucella abortus. II. Ultrastructural studies. Vet Pathol. 1986 May;23(3):227–239. doi: 10.1177/030098588602300302. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Anderson T. D., Meador V. P., Cheville N. F. Pathogenesis of placentitis in the goat inoculated with Brucella abortus. I. Gross and histologic lesions. Vet Pathol. 1986 May;23(3):219–226. doi: 10.1177/030098588602300301. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. BJOERKMAN N. FINE STRUCTURE OF THE OVINE PLACENTOME. J Anat. 1965 Apr;99:283–297. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Baskerville A., Dowsett A. B., Fitzgeorge R. B., Hambleton P., Broster M. Ultrastructure of pulmonary alveoli and macrophages in experimental Legionnaires' disease. J Pathol. 1983 Jun;140(2):77–90. doi: 10.1002/path.1711400202. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Boshier D. P., Holloway H. The sheep trophoblast and placental function: an ultrastructural study. J Anat. 1977 Nov;124(Pt 2):287–298. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Davies J., Wimsatt W. A. Observation on the fine structure of the sheep placenta. Acta Anat (Basel) 1966;65(1):182–223. doi: 10.1159/000142872. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Friedman M., Hirschfeld Z. EDTA enhancement of strontium uptake by intact human enamel. J Oral Rehabil. 1982 Jul;9(4):327–333. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2842.1982.tb01022.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Glavin F. L., Winn W. C., Jr, Craighead J. E. Ultrastructure of lung in Legionnaires' disease. Observations of three biopsies done during the Vermont epidemic. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Apr;90(4):555–559. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-90-4-555. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Horwitz M. A. Formation of a novel phagosome by the Legionnaires' disease bacterium (Legionella pneumophila) in human monocytes. J Exp Med. 1983 Oct 1;158(4):1319–1331. doi: 10.1084/jem.158.4.1319. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. KEPPIE J., WILLIAMS A. E., WITT K., SMITH H. THE ROLE OF ERYTHRITOL IN THE TISSUE LOCALIZATION OF THE BRUCELLAE. Br J Exp Pathol. 1965 Feb;46:104–108. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Katz S. M., Hashemi S. Electron microscopic examination of the inflammatory response to Legionella pneumophila in guinea pigs. Lab Invest. 1982 Jan;46(1):24–32. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lawn A. M., Chiquoine A. D., Amoroso E. C. The development of the placenta in the sheep and goat: an electron microscope study. J Anat. 1969 Nov;105(Pt 3):557–578. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. MOLELLO J. A., JENSEN R., COLLIER J. R., FLINT J. C. PLACENTAL PATHOLOGY. III. PLACENTAL LESIONS OF SHEEP EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED WITH BRUCELLA ABORTUS. Am J Vet Res. 1963 Sep;24:915–922. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Misra D. S., Kumar A., Sethi M. S. Effect of erythritol & sex hormones on the growth of Brucella species. Indian J Exp Biol. 1976 Jan;14(1):65–66. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Moulder J. W. Comparative biology of intracellular parasitism. Microbiol Rev. 1985 Sep;49(3):298–337. doi: 10.1128/mr.49.3.298-337.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Müller M., Ibrahimi I., Chang C. N., Walter P., Blobel G. A bacterial secretory protein requires signal recognition particle for translocation across mammalian endoplasmic reticulum. J Biol Chem. 1982 Oct 25;257(20):11860–11863. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. PAYNE J. M. The pathogenesis of experimental brucellosis in the pregnant cow. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1959 Oct;78:447–463. doi: 10.1002/path.1700780211. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Perry J. S., Heap R. B., Ackland N. The ultrastructure of the sheep placenta around the time of parturition. J Anat. 1975 Dec;120(Pt 3):561–570. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Poole P. M., Whitehouse D. B., Gilchrist M. M. A case of abortion consequent upon infection with Brucella abortus biotype 2. J Clin Pathol. 1972 Oct;25(10):882–884. doi: 10.1136/jcp.25.10.882. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Richardson J. C., Agutter P. S. The relationship between the nuclear membranes and the endoplasmic reticulum in interphase cells. Biochem Soc Trans. 1980 Aug;8(4):459–465. doi: 10.1042/bst0080459. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. SMITH H., KEPPIE J., PEARCE J. H., FULLER R., WILLIAMS A. E. The chemical basis of the virulence of Brucella abortus. I. Isolation of Br. abortus from bovine foetal tissue. Br J Exp Pathol. 1961 Dec;42:631–637. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. SMITH H., WILLIAMS A. E., PEARCE J. H., KEPPIE J., HARRIS-SMITH P. W., FITZ-GEORGE R. B., WITT K. Foetal erythritol: a cause of the localization of Brucella abortus in bovine contagious abortion. Nature. 1962 Jan 6;193:47–49. doi: 10.1038/193047a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Sperry J. F., Robertson D. C. Erythritol catabolism by Brucella abortus. J Bacteriol. 1975 Feb;121(2):619–630. doi: 10.1128/jb.121.2.619-630.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Tripathi K. K., Bhatnagar L., Seiffge D., Jankowski R. P., Aikins H. E., Gupta K. G. On the growth of Brucella species in presence of erythritol in defined and undefined media and amniotic fluid of human, cow and sheep. Zentralbl Bakteriol Orig A. 1977;237(2-3):324–329. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. WILLIAMS A. E., KEPPIE J., SMITH H. The chemical basis of the virulence of Brucella abortus. III. Foetal erythritol a cause of the localisation of Brucella abortus in pregnant cows. Br J Exp Pathol. 1962 Oct;43:530–537. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Wickner W. T., Lodish H. F. Multiple mechanisms of protein insertion into and across membranes. Science. 1985 Oct 25;230(4724):400–407. doi: 10.1126/science.4048938. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Wooding F. B. Localization of ovine placental lactogen in sheep placentomes by electron microscope immunocytochemistry. J Reprod Fertil. 1981 May;62(1):15–19. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0620015. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Wooding F. B. Structure and function of placental binucleate ('giant') cells. Bibl Anat. 1982;(22):134–139. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Young E. J. Human brucellosis. Rev Infect Dis. 1983 Sep-Oct;5(5):821–842. doi: 10.1093/clinids/5.5.821. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The American Journal of Pathology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Investigative Pathology

RESOURCES