Studies on the Virulence of
            <i>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</i>
            I. Relation of Colonial Morphology and Resistance to Phagocytosis by Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes

Thongthai, Chaufah; Sawyer, William D.

doi:10.1128/iai.7.3.373-379.1973

Cited by 91 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The interaction between types of N. gonorrhoeae and human sperm were similar to those reported for other eukaryotic cells (9,13,14). In all of these studies, piliated bacteria of type 1 attached to cells to a greater degree than nonpiliated type 4 bacteria.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

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Differential Attachment by Piliated and Nonpiliated Neisseria gonorrhoeae to Human Sperm

et al. 1974

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Piliated type 1 Neisseria gonorrhoeae attached to 50% of human sperm after incubation of mixtures in vitro for 15 min at 35 C. In contrast, nonpiliated type 4 N. gonorrhoeae attached to only 23% of sperm. Similar results were obtained with three different strains of N. gonorrhoeae. Treatment with heat or formaldehyde to kill bacteria did not affect the amount of attachment by piliated or nonpiliated types. Escherichia coli and N. subflava, other species of piliated bacteria, attached to about 40% of sperm, and the nonpiliated species N. meningitidis and N. catarrhalis attached to a comparable number of sperm, as did type 4 N. gonorrhoeae. Prior incubation of type 1 N. gonorrhoeae with purified antibody prepared against gonococcal pili reduced the percentage of sperm with attached bacteria to the same level as that for nonpiliated type 4 gonococci. Similar treatment of other piliated organisms or of nonpiliated Neisseria did not affect the attachment of the bacteria to sperm.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…Microbiol., p. 126, 1973) related a specific surface characteristic of the gonococcus to virulence. One laboratory reported that pili both promoted adherence of gonococci to eukaryotic cells and reduced phagocytosis of the bacteria (9,14).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential Attachment by Piliated and Nonpiliated Neisseria gonorrhoeae to Human Sperm

et al. 1974

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“…Moreover, piliated gonococci unable to undergo phase variation due to a deletion in the recA locus, were about two orders of magnitude less invasive than their nonpiliated counterparts. This brings to mind previous data suggesting that pili elicit antiphagocytic effects (Punsalang and Sawyer, 1973;Thongthai and Sawyer, 1973;Ofek et al, 1974;Densen and Mandell, 1978), although this notion has not been confirmed by others (Virji and Heckels, 1986). Whether the inhibitory effect of piliation is influenced by the particular type of pilin variant studied (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Phase variation of the opacity outer membrane protein controls invasion by Neisseria gonorrhoeae into human epithelial cells.

1991

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Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a facultative intracellular bacterium capable of penetrating into certain human epithelial cell types. In order to identify gonococcal factors essential for invading Chang human conjunctiva cells, a gentamicin selection assay for the quantification of viable intracellular bacteria was used in conjunction with microscopy. The results demonstrate a correlation between the invasive behaviour of gonococci and the expression of Opa proteins, a family of variable outer membrane proteins present in all pathogenic Neisseria species. However, only particular Opa proteins supported invasion into Chang cells as indicated by the use of two unrelated gonococcal strains. Invasion was sensitive to cytochalasin D, and strong adherence mediated by the Opa proteins appeared to be essential for the internalization of gonococci. In contrast pili, which also conferred binding to Chang conjunctiva cells, did not support cellular invasion but rather were inhibitory.

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“…However, some strains subsequently agglutinated when incubated in 10% fresh normal human serum for 60 min ; these strains were omitted from phagocytosis studies . Previous studies of gonococci have employed stained smears for evaluation of phagocytosis (4)(5)(6) . Fresh serum was also omitted from these studies.…”

Section: Stability Of Colonial Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nonselective transfer of type 1 and 2 gonococci on artificial medium resulted in reversion to type 3 and 4 organisms (2,3) . Recent morphologic studies have suggested that colonial types 1 and 2 gonococci are more resistant to phagocytosis than type 3 and 4 organisms (4)(5)(6) .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The interaction in vitro between human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and Neisseria gonorrhoeae cultivated in the chick embryo.

Gibbs¹,

Roberts²

1975

The Journal of Experimental Medicine

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Gonococcal infections are a serious public health problem . Despite renewed public health efforts, the incidence of gonorrhea has continued to rise 10-15% annually since 1967 (1) . Examination of clinical specimens from infected patients often reveals gonococci closely associated with polymorphonuclear leukocytes . Despite this long-standing clinical observation, factors related to gonococci-human leukocyte interactions have remained undefined. This has been in large part due to the lack of an experimental animal and a suitable method for the laboratory cultivation of these organisms .Kellogg and co-workers described colonial variation of gonococci and based on direct inoculation of organisms into the male urethra correlated type 1 and 2 organisms with virulence and type 3 and 4 gonococci with avirulence . Nonselective transfer of type 1 and 2 gonococci on artificial medium resulted in reversion to type 3 and 4 organisms (2, 3) . Recent morphologic studies have suggested that colonial types 1 and 2 gonococci are more resistant to phagocytosis than type 3 and 4 organisms (4-6) .This report describes a method for the laboratory cultivation of gonococci which allows for quantitative in vitro phagocytosis studies of viable organisms. The findings indicate that log-phase virulent gonococci possess antiphagocytic surface factors and that avirulent organisms are ingested and rapidly killed by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes . Heat-labile serum factors are necessary for phagocytosis of log-phase organisms. In addition, log-phase virulent gonococci attach to the surface membrane but are not interiorized by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the presence or absence of fresh human serum.

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Studies on the Virulence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae I. Relation of Colonial Morphology and Resistance to Phagocytosis by Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes

Cited by 91 publications

References 10 publications

Differential Attachment by Piliated and Nonpiliated Neisseria gonorrhoeae to Human Sperm

Differential Attachment by Piliated and Nonpiliated Neisseria gonorrhoeae to Human Sperm

Phase variation of the opacity outer membrane protein controls invasion by Neisseria gonorrhoeae into human epithelial cells.

The interaction in vitro between human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and Neisseria gonorrhoeae cultivated in the chick embryo.

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