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Development of a tissue culture model for gonococcal invasion

  • Section 3: Outer Membrane Proteins and IgA Protease
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Abstract

Neisseria gonorrhoeae invasion of the human endometrial cell line HecIB was monitored by electron microscopy. Within six hours postinfection, the gonococci have attached to the surface of some HecIB cells and are embraced by microvilli. Gonococci subsequently enter the HecIB cells in membrane bound vessicles but by eight hours, gonococci can be seen free in the cytoplasm. At twelve hours post-infection some HecIB cells are observed containing hundreds of internalized bacteria. At twentyfour hours gonococci appear in large clusters embedded in a matrix of cellular debris, which are possibly the remains of lysed infected cells. In contrast, N. lactamica is adherent to the monolayer but noninvasive.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Medical Microbiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    J. H. Shaw & S. Falkow

  2. Electron Microscopy Section, RML, NIH, NIAID, Hamilton, Montana, USA

    F. Hayes

  3. Dept. of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    G. F. Brooks

Authors
  1. J. H. Shaw
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  2. F. Hayes
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  3. G. F. Brooks
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  4. S. Falkow
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Shaw, J.H., Hayes, F., Brooks, G.F. et al. Development of a tissue culture model for gonococcal invasion. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 53, 485–491 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00415507

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00415507

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