Open AccessEnhanced invasion of Tyzzer's organism into cultured mouse hepatocytes by cytochalasin D
Author(s) -
Kawamura Seiji,
Yoshikawa Yasuhiro,
Fujiwara Kosaku
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1998.tb12897.x
Subject(s) - microfilament , colchicine , cytoskeleton , vinblastine , microtubule , biology , cytochalasin , cytochalasin b , cytochalasin d , intracellular , microbiology and biotechnology , obligate , tubulin , cell , biochemistry , genetics , ecology , chemotherapy
The effects of cytoskeleton inhibitors on the invasion of Tyzzer's organism, an obligate intracellular bacterium, into cultured mouse hepatocytes were examined by double immunofluorescence observation and plaque assay. The two techniques gave comparable results. Invasion of bacteria was significantly enhanced by cytochalasin D, a microfilament disrupting drug, and markedly suppressed by vinblastine, a microtubule inhibitor. Another microtubule inhibitor, colchicine, did not show any substantial effect. However, the cytoskeletal system of cultured mouse hepatocytes was sensitive to these three drugs, as judged by inhibition of FITC‐dextran uptake. These results suggest that Tyzzer's organisms invade host cells by a unique mechanism that is suppressed by the normal functions of host cell microfilaments.