This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hart, P. D. Articles by Draper, P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hart, P. D. Articles by Draper, P.

Ultrastructural Study of the Behavior of Macrophages Toward Parasitic Mycobacteria

¹ National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, England

ABSTRACT

Mycobacterium lepraemurium and M. microti (causal agent of vole tuberculosis) were isolated from tissues of experimentally infected mice and used to infect normal mouse peritoneal macrophage cultures. The cellular response to these bacteria up to 4 days after infection was studied quantitatively by electron microscopy. Prelabeling with ferritin was used to facilitate observation of fusion between secondary lysosomes in the cells and phagosomes containing the bacteria. All bacteria were intraphagosomal, and a high proportion of them was morphologically "intact." Nearly all phagosomes containing morphologically damaged (presumed nonviable) bacteria also contained ferritin, having fused with secondary lysosomes. Fusion of lysosomes had also occurred with most phagosomes containing intact M. lepraemurium but was infrequent with phagosomes containing intact M. microti. This tendency of multiplying mycobacteria of the tubercle type to avoid contact with lysosomal contents has already been reported for M. tuberculosis strain H37Rv. The different intracellular circumstances of the parasites may reflect different means of intracellular survival.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Daniel, D. S., Dai, G., Singh, C. R., Lindsey, D. R., Smith, A. K., Dhandayuthapani, S., Hunter, R. L. Jr, Jagannath, C. (2006). The Reduced Bactericidal Function of Complement C5-Deficient Murine Macrophages Is Associated with Defects in the Synthesis and Delivery of Reactive Oxygen Radicals to Mycobacterial Phagosomes. J. Immunol. 177: 4688-4698 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Miller, B. H., Fratti, R. A., Poschet, J. F., Timmins, G. S., Master, S. S., Burgos, M., Marletta, M. A., Deretic, V. (2004). Mycobacteria Inhibit Nitric Oxide Synthase Recruitment to Phagosomes during Macrophage Infection. Infect. Immun. 72: 2872-2878 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Russell, D. G., Mwandumba, H. C., Rhoades, E. E. (2002). Mycobacterium and the coat of many lipids. J. Cell Biol. 158: 421-426 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• El-Etr, S. H., Yan, L., Cirillo, J. D. (2001). Fish Monocytes as a Model for Mycobacterial Host-Pathogen Interactions. Infect. Immun. 69: 7310-7317 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chang, K., Dwyer, D. (1976). Multiplication of a human parasite (Leishmania donovani) in phagolysosomes of hamster macrophages in vitro. Science 193: 678-680 [Abstract]