Summary
The aim of this study was to investigate the morphological changes ofBorrelia burgdorferi associated with penicillin treatment. An isolate ofB. burgdorferi from an erythema migrans lesion was cultivated in BSK II medium and exposed to increasing concentrations (0.0625 mg/l-2 mg/l) of penicillin G for 5 days. Thein vitro minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined to be 0.5 mg/l by broth dilution method. The morphological structures of untreated spirochetes, as well as their characteristic ultrastructural changes when exposed to penicillin, were observed by electron microscopy. The following alterations were discovered: (i) Numerous outer sheath blebs at a penicillin concentration of 0.0625 mg/l. (ii) A characteristic irregular waveform of the borrelial cells and complete loss of the outer sheath at a penicillin concentration of 0.125 mg/l. (iii) The presence of “spheroplasts” at the same concentration. (iv) Structural changes of the protoplasmic cylinder complex which showed an irregular pattern at a penicillin concentration of 0.125 mg/l. (v) Disruption of the protoplasmic cylinder complex into several parts at penicillin concentrations of 0.25 mg/l and 0.5 mg/l. (vi) Severe cytolysis at penicillin concentrations of 1 mg/l and 2 mg/l.
Zusammenfassung
In der vorliegenden Studie berichten wir über morphologische Veränderungen vonBorrelia burgdorferi unter Einwirkung unterschiedlicher Penicillinkonzentrationen. Das untersuchteB. burgdorferi-Isolat wurde aus einer Hautprobe eines Erythema migrans in BSK II-Medium angezüchtet. Zur Bestimmung der minimalen Hemmkonzentration (MHK) wurden die Borrelien fünf Tage lang im Reihenverdünnungstest Penicillin G-Konzentrationen von 0,0625 mg/l bis 2 mg/l ausgesetzt. Die MHK wurde mit 0,5 mg/l ermittelt. In Abhängigkeit von den jeweiligen Penicillinkonzentrationen wurden folgende ultrastrukturelle Veränderungen der Borrelien beobachtet: (i) zahlreiche Ausstülpungen der äußeren Zellmembran bei einer Penicillinkonzentration von 0,0625 mg/l. (ii) Auftreten von „Sphäroplasten“ sowie von langgestreckten Borrelien, die ihre äußere Zellmembran vollständig verloren haben bei einer Penicillinkonzentration von 0,125 mg/l. (iii) Unregelmäßige scheckige Kontrastierung des Protoplasmazylinderkomplexes bei einer Penicillinkonzentration von 0,125 mg/l. (iv) Aufspaltung des Protoplasmazylinderkomplexes in mehrere Bruchstücke unter Penicillinkonzentrationen von 0,25 mg/l und 0,5 mg/l (v) Bakterienlyse bei Penicillinkonzentrationen von 1 mg/l und 2 mg/l.
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Schaller, M., Neubert, U. Ultrastructure ofBorrelia burgdorferi after exposure to benzylpenicillin. Infection 22, 401–406 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01715497
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01715497