Abstract
An established line of rat fibroblasts (14pf), growing in either of two media, was infected with Mycobacterium lepraemurium. One of the media (equal parts of human cord serum and Hanks' balanced salt solution) supports active intracellular bacterial multiplication, whereas the other (10 per cent calf serum in Eagle's medium with added peptone) fails to do so. Within 1 week of infection, the cells were stained for acid phosphatase, aryl sulphatase and β-galactosidase activities and examined by light microscopy. Cells in equal parts of cord serum and Hanks' balanced salt solution showed an accumulation of all 3 enzymes around the bacteria whereas cells in 10 per cent calf serum in Eagle's medium showed only light, diffuse, general staining with little localization around the bacteria. Cells in the former medium also had greater lysosomal activity before infection with Myco. lepraemurium than cells in the latter medium, showing that the increased activity was not the result of intracellular multiplication of the bacteria. It is concluded that the failure to support mycobacterial growth by the cells growing in the medium containing calf serum must be unconnected with direct lysosomal action. A possible beneficial effect of lysosomal enzymes on the growth of these obligate intracellular mycobacteria is suggested.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Chang Y. T., Neikirk R. L. Mycobacterium lepraemurium and Mycobacterium leprae in cultures of mouse peritoneal macrophages (preliminary results). Int J Lepr. 1965 Jul-Sep;33(3 Suppl):586–603. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dannenberg A. M., Jr, Meyer O. T., Esterly J. R., Kambara T. The local nature of immunity in tuberculosis, illustrated histochemically in dermal BCG lesions. J Immunol. 1968 May;100(5):931–941. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- GARBUTT E. W., REES R. J., BARR Y. M. Multiplication of rat-leprosy bacilli in cultures of rat fibroblasts. Lancet. 1958 Jul 19;2(7038):127–128. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(58)92219-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Goldfischer S. The cytochemical demonstration of lysosomal aryl sulfatase activity by light and electron microscopy. J Histochem Cytochem. 1965 Jul-Aug;13(6):520–523. doi: 10.1177/13.6.520. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Merkal R. S., Kluge J. P., Monlux W. S., Larsen A. B., Kopecky K. E., Quinn L. Y., Lehmann R. P. Experimental paratuberculosis in sheep after oral, intratracheal, or intravenous inoculation: histochemical localization of hydrolase activities. Am J Vet Res. 1968 May;29(5):985–994. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- REES R. J., GARBUTT E. W. Studies on Mycobacterium lepraemurium in tissue culture. I. Multiplication and growth characteristics in cultures of rat fibroblasts. Br J Exp Pathol. 1962;43:221–235. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- REES R. J., VALENTINE R. C., WONG P. C. Application of quantitative electron microscopy to the study of Mycobacterium lepraemurium and M. leprae. J Gen Microbiol. 1960 Apr;22:443–457. doi: 10.1099/00221287-22-2-443. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- REES R. J., WONG P. C. Limited multiplication of M. lepraemurium in tissue culture. Nature. 1958 Feb 1;181(4605):359–360. doi: 10.1038/181359b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- WHEELER W. C., HANKS J. H. UTILIZATION OF EXTERNAL GROWTH FACTORS BY INTRACELLULAR MICROBES: MYCOBACTERIUM PARATUBERCULOSIS AND WOOD PIGEON MYCOBACTERIA. J Bacteriol. 1965 Mar;89:889–896. doi: 10.1128/jb.89.3.889-896.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]