Coagulase Production, Mannitol Fermentation, Penicillinase Elaboration, and Phage Typability of Staphylococcus aureus Reverted from L-Phase Variants

Glotzbecker

1975

Infect Immun

The in vivo behavior of revertants of Staphylococcus aureus L-phase variants were studied in mice. The Giorgio strain of S. aureus was induced into L-phase variants by methicillin. After 13 serial passages in methicillin agar and six passages in antibiotic-free agar, reversion occurred. Six revertants, all phage untypable, coagulase negative, and mannitol negative, were inoculated intravenously into Swiss albino mice in comparison with the parent strain. Inoculation of 108 colony-forming units resulted in 38% mortality at 28 days for the Giorgio group and 0 to 2% for the revertants. The geometric mean titer of staphylococci in the kidneys was 3.5 x 105 for the Giorgio group and 0.5 x 100 to 1.0 x 102 for the revertants. Serial colony counts of blood, lungs, spleen, liver, and kidneys in mice inoculated with 107 colony-forming units showed faster clearance and failure of the revertant to colonize the kidneys. It is concluded that the in vivo behavior of the L-phase revertants was vastly different from that of the parent Giorgio strain.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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In Vivo Behavior of Revertants from Staphylococcus aureus L-Phase Variants Compared with the Parent Strain

Glotzbecker

1975

Infect Immun

“…No L-phase variants were recovered from the kidneys or the bladder urine. A mannitol-positive, coagulase-positive staphylococcus recovered from the kidney of one animal inoculated 7 days earlier with the stable L-phase variants probably represented a contaminant, but it would be impossible to rule out in vivo reversion (8).…”

Section: Daysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pathogenicity of Stable L-Phase Variants of Staphylococcus aureus : Failure to Colonize Normal and Oxamide-Induced Hydronephrotic Renal Medulla of Rats

Bakie

1974

Infect Immun

The direct intramedullary inoculation of stable L-phase variants of Staphylococcus aureus failed to colonize normal and hydronephrotic rat kidneys induced by oral feeding of oxamide. The intravenous inoculation of stable Lphase variants of different bacteria has failed to initiate renal infections in experimental animals (2, 11, 12; unpublished data). One reason for this failure was the inability of these variants to reach the kidneys. After intravenous inoculation, L-phase variants could have been eliminated by the suboptimal serum osmolality, the serum bactericidal activity, or the phagocytosis by leukocytes as well as reticuloendothelial cells. Direct inoculation of the L-phase variants

Pathogenicity of stable L‐phase variants of staphylococcus aureus reaction of rabbit synovium to intraarticular inoculation

Linnemann

Bakie

1974

Arthritis & Rheumatism

Stable L-phase variants of Staphylococcus aureus were injected into the knee joints of rabbits. The recovery of organisms at various intervals was attempted and the reaction of the synovium studied. Although what appeared to be L-phase variants could be seen within polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the synovial fluid at 48 hours, they did not grow in culture. At 1 week, there was a mild synovitis characterized by both acute and chronic inflammatory changes which was diminished at 2 weeks and resolved by 5 weeks. Joints injected with L-phase variants and sterile media differed only in the degree of change. Following multiple injections a more diffuse chronic synovitis was present, and in l experimental animal rheumatoid-like changes were seen. L-phase variants could not be recovered from cultures of the synovial fluid or the synovial tissue.T h e role of wall-defective microbial variants (1) in the initiation and/or persistence of infection has not been defined. We have previously shown that a strain of L-phase wriant of Staphylococcus aureus inoculated into an in situ polyethylene catheter in the right side of the rabbit heart failed to colonize endocardia1 vegetations (2). A pathogenic role for wall-defective microbial variants in arthritis has been suggested, but the evidence is unconvincing. Pease (3) isolated an L-form of a bac-