Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1969 Jan 1;129(1):51–79. doi: 10.1084/jem.129.1.51

THE SERUM BACTERICIDAL SYSTEM: ULTRASTRUCTURAL CHANGES IN NEISSERIA MENINGITIDIS EXPOSED TO NORMAL RAT SERUM

John Swanson 1, Irving Goldschneider 1
PMCID: PMC2138591  PMID: 4973309

Abstract

Exposure of meningococci to the bactericidal system of normal rat serum initiates a series of ultrastructural changes that accompany death of the organism. These morphological alterations consist of complement-dependent holes in the cell wall outer membrane, edema of the periplasmic space and cytoplasm, and accumulation of fibrillar material in and on the cell wall. Dissolution of the dense line and rupture of the cytoplasmic membrane also occur in meningococci exposed to normal rate serum. These latter two changes, however, are not seen in meningococci that are killed by bentonite-absorbed (lysozyme-deficient) serum, nor are they invariably present when other serum-susceptible organisms (N. catarrhalis and Herellea sp.) are treated with normal rat serum. The pattern of development of edema in serum-treated meningococci suggests that the cell wall outer membrane, mucopeptide layer, and cytoplasmic membrane act synergistically to maintain osmotic equilibrium of the bacterium. Death of the bacterium seems related to alteration of permeability following injury to the outer membrane. Holes are demonstrable, by negative straining, in the outer membrane of the meningococcal cell wall after exposure to the bactericidal effects of rat serum. The lesions are 110 A average greatest diameter and depend on the presence of antibody and complement for their formation. In addition, 82 A diameter holes are present in the walls of normal, untreated meningococci. The relation of complement-dependent holes to the smaller, naturally occurring holes is not known.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (2.0 MB).

Selected References

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

  1. BORSOS T., DOURMASHKIN R. R., HUMPHREY J. H. LESIONS IN ERYTHROCYTE MEMBRANES CAUSED BY IMMUNE HAEMOLYSIS. Nature. 1964 Apr 18;202:251–252. doi: 10.1038/202251a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bladen H. A., Evans R. T., Mergenhagen S. E. Lesions in Escherichia coli membranes after action of antibody and complement. J Bacteriol. 1966 Jun;91(6):2377–2381. doi: 10.1128/jb.91.6.2377-2381.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DIENES L., WEINBERGER H. J., MADOFF S. The transformation of typhoid bacilli into L forms under various conditions. J Bacteriol. 1950 Jun;59(6):755–764. doi: 10.1128/jb.59.6.755-764.1950. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Davis S. D., Gemsa D., Wedgwood R. J. Kinetics of the transformation of Gram-negative rods to spheroplasts and ghosts by serum. J Immunol. 1966 Apr;96(4):570–577. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Ensky J., Hinz C. F., Jr, Todd E. W., Wedgwood R. J., Boyer J. T., Lepow I. H. Properties of highly purified human properdin. J Immunol. 1968 Jan;100(1):142–158. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. GOLDBERG B., GREEN H. The cytotoxic action of immune gamma globulin and complement on Krebs ascites tumor cells. I. Ultrastructural studies. J Exp Med. 1959 May 1;109(5):505–510. doi: 10.1084/jem.109.5.505. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. GREEN H., BARROW P., GOLDBERG B. Effect of antibody and complement on permeability control in ascites tumor cells and erythrocytes. J Exp Med. 1959 Nov 1;110:699–713. doi: 10.1084/jem.110.5.699. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Glynn A. A., Milne C. M. A kinetic study of the bacteriolytic and bactericidal action of human serum. Immunology. 1967 Jun;12(6):639–653. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. HOOK W. A., MUSCHEL L. H. ANTICOMPLEMENTARY EFFECTS AND COMPLEMENT ACTIVITY OF HUMAN SERA. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1964 Oct;117:292–297. doi: 10.3181/00379727-117-29561. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. KELLENBERGER E., RYTER A. Cell wall and cytoplasmic membrane of Escherichia coli. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1958 May 25;4(3):323–326. doi: 10.1083/jcb.4.3.323. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. KELLENBERGER E., RYTER A., SECHAUD J. Electron microscope study of DNA-containing plasms. II. Vegetative and mature phage DNA as compared with normal bacterial nucleoids in different physiological states. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1958 Nov 25;4(6):671–678. doi: 10.1083/jcb.4.6.671. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. MURRAY R. G., STEED P., ELSON H. E. THE LOCATION OF THE MUCOPEPTIDE IN SECTIONS OF THE CELL WALL OF ESCHERICHIA COLI AND OTHER GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA. Can J Microbiol. 1965 Jun;11:547–560. doi: 10.1139/m65-072. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. MUSCHEL L. H. Serum bactericidal actions. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1960 Nov 21;88:1265–1272. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1960.tb20117.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mergenhagen S. E., Gewurz H., Bladen H. A., Nowotny A., Kasai N., Lüderitz O. Interactions of the complement system with endotoxins from a Salmonella minnesota mutant deficient in O-polysaccharide and heptose. J Immunol. 1968 Jan;100(1):227–229. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Muschel L. H., Jackson J. E. Reversal of the bactericidal reaction of serum by magnesium ion. J Bacteriol. 1966 Apr;91(4):1399–1402. doi: 10.1128/jb.91.4.1399-1402.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Pike R. M. Antibody heterogeneity and serological reactions. Bacteriol Rev. 1967 Jun;31(2):157–174. doi: 10.1128/br.31.2.157-174.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. ROBBINS J. B., KENNY K., SUTER E. THE ISOLATION AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF RABBIT GAMMA M- AND GAMMA G-ANTI-SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM ANTIBODIES. J Exp Med. 1965 Aug 1;122:385–402. doi: 10.1084/jem.122.2.385. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Remsen C., Lundgren D. G. Electron microscopy of the cell envelope of Ferrobacillus ferrooxidans prepared by freeze-etching and chemical fixation techniques. J Bacteriol. 1966 Dec;92(6):1765–1771. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.6.1765-1771.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. SKARNES R. C., WATSON D. W. Antimicrobial factors of normal tissues and fluids. Bacteriol Rev. 1957 Dec;21(4):273–294. doi: 10.1128/br.21.4.273-294.1957. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Spitznagel J. K. Normal serum cytotoxicity for P32-labeled smooth Enterobacteriaceae. II. Fate of macromolecular and lipid phosphorus of damaged cells. J Bacteriol. 1966 Jan;91(1):148–152. doi: 10.1128/jb.91.1.148-152.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Spitznagel J. K., Wilson L. A. Normal serum cytotoxicity for P32-labeled smooth Enterobacteriaceae. I. Loss of label, death, and ultrastructural damage. J Bacteriol. 1966 Jan;91(1):393–400. doi: 10.1128/jb.91.1.393-400.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. VENABLE J. H., COGGESHALL R. A SIMPLIFIED LEAD CITRATE STAIN FOR USE IN ELECTRON MICROSCOPY. J Cell Biol. 1965 May;25:407–408. doi: 10.1083/jcb.25.2.407. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. WARDLAW A. C. The complement-dependent bacteriolytic activity of normal human serum. I. The effect of pH and ionic strength and the role of lysozyme. J Exp Med. 1962 Jun 1;115:1231–1249. doi: 10.1084/jem.115.6.1231. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES