This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ASM journals
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Edwards, J. L.
Right arrow Articles by Apicella, M. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Edwards, J. L.
Right arrow Articles by Apicella, M. A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, September 2000, p. 5354-5363, Vol. 68, No. 9
0019-9567/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae Elicits Membrane Ruffling and Cytoskeletal Rearrangements upon Infection of Primary Human Endocervical and Ectocervical Cells

Jennifer L. Edwards,1 Jian Q. Shao,1 Kevin A. Ault,2 and Michael A. Apicella1,*

Departments of Microbiology1 and Obstetrics and Gynecology,2 The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Received 23 February 2000/Returned for modification 27 April 2000/Accepted 15 May 2000

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a strict human pathogen that is, primarily, transmitted by close sexual contact with an infected individual. Gonococcal infection of the male urogenital tract has been well studied in experimental human models and in urethral cell culture systems. Recent studies, using tissue culture cell systems, have suggested a role for the cervical epithelium in gonococcal infection of females; however, the nature of gonococcal infection of the normal uterine cervix remains controversial. To address this enigma, we have developed two primary human cervical epithelial cell systems from surgical biopsies. Gonococcal infection studies and electron microscopy show that N. gonorrhoeae is capable of infecting and invading both the endo- and the ectocervix. Invasion was found to occur primarily in an actin-dependent manner, but it does not appear to require de novo protein synthesis by either the bacterium or the host cervical cell. Membrane ruffles appear to be induced in response to gonococci. Consistent with membrane ruffling, gonococci were found residing within macropinosomes, and a concentrated accumulation of actin-associated proteins was observed to occur in response to gonococcal infection. Electron microscopy of clinically derived cervical biopsies show that lamellipodia formation and cytoskeletal changes, suggestive of membrane ruffles, also occur in the cervical epithelium of women with naturally acquired gonococcal cervicitis. These studies demonstrate the ability of N. gonorrhoeae to infect and invade both the endo- and the ectocervix of the normal uterine cervix. Gonococcal induced ruffling is a novel finding and may be unique to the cervical epithelium.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, The University of Iowa, 51 Newton Rd., Iowa City, IA 52242. Phone: (319) 335-7807. Fax: (319) 335-9006. E-mail: michael-apicella{at}uiowa.edu.

Infection and Immunity, September 2000, p. 5354-5363, Vol. 68, No. 9
0019-9567/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Edwards, J. L. (2010). Neisseria gonorrhoeae Survival during Primary Human Cervical Epithelial Cell Infection Requires Nitric Oxide and Is Augmented by Progesterone. Infect. Immun. 78: 1202-1213 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Higashi, D. L., Zhang, G. H., Biais, N., Myers, L. R., Weyand, N. J., Elliott, D. A., So, M. (2009). Influence of type IV pilus retraction on the architecture of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae-infected cell cortex. Microbiology 155: 4084-4092 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Baczynska, A., Funch, P., Fedder, J., Knudsen, H. J., Birkelund, S., Christiansen, G. (2007). Morphology of human Fallopian tubes after infection with Mycoplasma genitalium and Mycoplasma hominis--in vitro organ culture study. Hum Reprod 22: 968-979 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Seib, K. L., Wu, H.-J., Kidd, S. P., Apicella, M. A., Jennings, M. P., McEwan, A. G. (2006). Defenses against Oxidative Stress in Neisseria gonorrhoeae: a System Tailored for a Challenging Environment. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 70: 344-361 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wu, H.-J., Seib, K. L., Edwards, J. L., Apicella, M. A., McEwan, A. G., Jennings, M. P. (2005). Azurin of Pathogenic Neisseria spp. Is Involved in Defense against Hydrogen Peroxide and Survival within Cervical Epithelial Cells. Infect. Immun. 73: 8444-8448 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Seib, K. L., Simons, M. P., Wu, H.-J., McEwan, A. G., Nauseef, W. M., Apicella, M. A., Jennings, M. P. (2005). Investigation of Oxidative Stress Defenses of Neisseria gonorrhoeae by Using a Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Survival Assay. Infect. Immun. 73: 5269-5272 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Jurcisek, J., Greiner, L., Watanabe, H., Zaleski, A., Apicella, M. A., Bakaletz, L. O. (2005). Role of Sialic Acid and Complex Carbohydrate Biosynthesis in Biofilm Formation by Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae in the Chinchilla Middle Ear. Infect. Immun. 73: 3210-3218 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Greiner, L. L., Edwards, J. L., Shao, J., Rabinak, C., Entz, D., Apicella, M. A. (2005). Biofilm Formation by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Infect. Immun. 73: 1964-1970 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Oberley, R. E., Goss, K. L., Ault, K. A., Crouch, E. C., Snyder, J. M. (2004). Surfactant protein D is present in the human female reproductive tract and inhibits Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Mol Hum Reprod 10: 861-870 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Edwards, J. L., Apicella, M. A. (2004). The Molecular Mechanisms Used by Neisseria gonorrhoeae To Initiate Infection Differ between Men and Women. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 17: 965-981 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Greiner, L. L., Watanabe, H., Phillips, N. J., Shao, J., Morgan, A., Zaleski, A., Gibson, B. W., Apicella, M. A. (2004). Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Strain 2019 Produces a Biofilm Containing N-Acetylneuraminic Acid That May Mimic Sialylated O-Linked Glycans. Infect. Immun. 72: 4249-4260 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Edwards, J. L., Entz, D. D., Apicella, M. A. (2003). Gonococcal Phospholipase D Modulates the Expression and Function of Complement Receptor 3 in Primary Cervical Epithelial Cells. Infect. Immun. 71: 6381-6391 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Tseng, H.-J., McEwan, A. G., Apicella, M. A., Jennings, M. P. (2003). OxyR Acts as a Repressor of Catalase Expression in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Infect. Immun. 71: 550-556 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Eugene, E., Hoffmann, I., Pujol, C., Couraud, P.-O., Bourdoulous, S., Nassif, X. (2002). Microvilli-like structures are associated with the internalization of virulent capsulated Neisseria meningitidis into vascular endothelial cells. J. Cell Sci. 115: 1231-1241 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Post, D. M. B., Phillips, N. J., Shao, J. Q., Entz, D. D., Gibson, B. W., Apicella, M. A. (2002). Intracellular Survival of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Male Urethral Epithelial Cells: Importance of a Hexaacyl Lipid A. Infect. Immun. 70: 909-920 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Fichorova, R. N., Desai, P. J., Gibson, F. C. III, Genco, C. A. (2001). Distinct Proinflammatory Host Responses to Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection in Immortalized Human Cervical and Vaginal Epithelial Cells. Infect. Immun. 69: 5840-5848 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2010 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»