Environmental Adaptation of Spirochetes

National Library of Medicine: IGM Selected Full Records Screen
Selected full citations from 12 MEDLINE records
Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000
From: Kathleen Dickson
Organization: SeCT Lyme Support Group

 
TITLE:  Serum-starvation-induced changes in protein synthesis and morphology of Borrelia burgdorferi.
AUTHORS:  Alban PS; Johnson PW; Nelson DR
AUTHOR AFFILIATION:  Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston 02881, USA.
SOURCE:  Microbiology 2000 Jan;146 ( Pt 1):119-27
CITATION IDS:  PMID: 10658658 UI: 20121745
ABSTRACT:  It has been demonstrated previously that motile Borrelia burgdorferi cells transform into non-motile cyst-forms when incubated for several weeks in BSKII (a complex medium) lacking rabbit serum. B. burgdorferi cells cannot synthesize fatty acids de novo and serum is thought to provide a source of fatty acids and lipids. When B. burgdorferi cells were serum-starved in defined RPMI medium, -90% of the cells formed spherical cysts within 48 h. Cyst formation was inhibited by tetracycline. Cyst opening and recovery of vegetative cells was rapidly induced by the addition of either BSKII or rabbit serum. The percentage of viable cells recovered from cysts ranged from 2.9% to 52-5%. Viability was inversely proportional to cyst age. Protein synthesis by B. burgdorferi during serum starvation was examined by labelling cells with Tran35S-Label and analysing the labelled proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and fluorography. The synthesis of over 20 proteins was induced during serum starvation. Western blots of proteins from vegetative cells and cysts probed with sera from either B. burgdorferi-infected humans or monkeys revealed that several cyst proteins were antigenic. These data suggest that cells of B. burgdorferi, although possessing a small genome and extremely limited biosynthetic capabilities, rapidly respond to conditions of serum starvation by inducing changes in protein synthesis and cell morphology. This study may help explain how cells of B. burgdorferi can survive periods of nutrient deprivation in different hosts and host tissues.
MAIN MESH HEADINGS:  Bacterial Proteins/*biosynthesis
Borrelia burgdorferi/*metabolism
Borrelia burgdorferi/*ultrastructure
ADDITIONAL MESH HEADINGS:  Animal
Antigens, Bacterial/immunology
Bacterial Proteins/immunology
Blood
Blotting, Western
Borrelia burgdorferi/growth & development
Culture Media, Serum-Free
Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional
Human
Lyme Disease/immunology
Lyme Disease/microbiology
Microscopy, Electron
Rabbits
Sulfur Radioisotopes/metabolism
Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
2000/03
2000/11 09:00
PUBLICATION TYPES:  JOURNAL ARTICLE
CAS REGISTRY NUMBERS:  0 (Antigens, Bacterial)
0 (Bacterial Proteins)
0 (Culture Media, Serum-Free)
0 (Sulfur Radioisotopes)
LANGUAGES:  Eng
GRANT/CONTRACT ID:  AI37230/AI/NIAID

TITLE:  Transformation of cystic forms of Borrelia burgdorferi to normal, mobile spirochetes.
AUTHORS:  Brorson O; Brorson SH
AUTHOR AFFILIATION:  Dept. of Microbiology, Ulleval University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
SOURCE:  Infection 1997 Jul-Aug;25(4):240-6
CITATION IDS:  PMID: 9266264 UI: 97411286
ABSTRACT:  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the behaviour of Borrelia burgdorferi under controlled conditions. The occurrence of cystic forms of Borrelia burgdorferi in vitro was noted, and these cysts were able to be transformed to normal, mobile spirochetes. B. burgdorferi was cultivated in a commercial culture medium without serum. The spirochetes multiplied only slowly in this medium, and transformation to encysted forms was observed after 1 week. When these cysts were transferred to the same culture medium with rabbit serum, the encysted forms developed into regular, mobile spirochetes after 6 weeks, and their regeneration time was normal. Examination of these cysts in the transmission electron microscope revealed transverse fission inside the cysts. It is probable that similar phenomena may occur in vivo under conditions unfavourable for spirochetes. These observations may help to explain why diagnosis and treatment of B. burgdorferi infections in humans can be difficult.
MAIN MESH HEADINGS:  Borrelia burgdorferi/*cytology
Borrelia burgdorferi/*physiology
ADDITIONAL MESH HEADINGS:  Animal
Borrelia burgdorferi/growth & development
Cell Membrane/ultrastructure
Cell Movement
Culture Media
Flagella/ultrastructure
Human
Microscopy/methods
Microscopy, Electron
Rabbits
Reference Values
1997/07
1997/01 00:00
PUBLICATION TYPES:  JOURNAL ARTICLE
CAS REGISTRY NUMBERS:  0 (Culture Media)
LANGUAGES:  Eng

 Publisher's Site
TITLE:  Effects of penicillin, ceftriaxone, and doxycycline on morphology of Borrelia burgdorferi.
AUTHORS:  Kersten A; Poitschek C; Rauch S; Aberer E
AUTHOR AFFILIATION:  Department of Dermatology, University of Vienna, Austria.
SOURCE:  Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1995 May;39(5):1127-33
CITATION IDS:  PMID: 7625800 UI: 95351754
ABSTRACT:  Antibiotic therapy with penicillin, doxycycline, and ceftriaxone has proven to be effective for the treatment of Lyme borreliosis. In some patients, however, it was noticed that borreliae can survival in the tissues in spite of seemingly adequate therapy. For a better understanding of this phenomenon, we investigated the different modes of degeneration of Borrelia burgdorferi suspensions during a 96-h exposure to various antibiotics. By dark-field microscopy and ultrastructural investigations, increasing blebbing and the gradual formation of granular and cystic structures could be followed during the exposure time. Although antibiotic concentrations at the MIC at which 90% of organisms are inhibited after 72 h were 80% or even greater, motile organisms were still present after incubation with penicillin and doxycycline but not after incubation with ceftriaxone. By transmission electron microscopy, intact spirochetal parts, mostly situated in cysts, were seen up to 96 h after exposure with all three antibiotics tested. According to experiences from studies with other spirochetes it is suggested that encysted borreliae, granules, and the remaining blebs might be responsible for the ongoing antigenic stimulus leading to complaints of chronic Lyme borreliosis.
MAIN MESH HEADINGS:  Borrelia burgdorferi/*ultrastructure
Ceftriaxone/*pharmacology
Doxycycline/*pharmacology
Penicillins/*pharmacology
ADDITIONAL MESH HEADINGS:  Borrelia burgdorferi/drug effects
Borrelia burgdorferi/metabolism
Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
Microscopy, Electron
Peptides/metabolism
Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
1995/05
1995/01 00:00
PUBLICATION TYPES:  JOURNAL ARTICLE
CAS REGISTRY NUMBERS:  0 (Penicillins)
0 (Peptides)
564-25-0 (Doxycycline)
73384-59-5 (Ceftriaxone)
LANGUAGES:  Eng

TITLE:  [The cytoarchitectonics of hard chancre in rabbits with experimental syphilis exposed to soliusul'fon and cefamezine]
VERNACULAR TITLE:  Tsitoarkhitektonika tverdogo shankra u krolikov s eksperimental'nym sifilisom pri vozdeistvii soliusul'fonom i tsefamezinom.
AUTHORS:  Delektorskii VV; Romanenko VN; Gupalo LA; Balakishieva FI
SOURCE:  Vestn Dermatol Venerol 1990;(4):32-6
CITATION IDS:  PMID: 2202167 UI: 90357885
ABSTRACT:  Twenty rabbits were infected with Treponema pallidum suspension. Ten animals were injected with solusulfone, the rest with cefamezin. Specific features of syphilis induced by a pool of Treponemas are described, such as T. pallidum ultrastructure, formation of a specific granule, form of the agent aggression. Solusulfone treatment was associated with activation of phagocytosis, that manifested by a shift of the incomplete/complete phagocytosis ratio towards the reaction completion; however, intact T. pallidum were detectable even in 72 hrs after the drug injection. Cefamezin had no effect on the cysts and cyst-like formations at the beginning of the treatment course but these forms of the agent were already undetectable in 48 hours.
MAIN MESH HEADINGS:  Cefazolin/*therapeutic use
Chancre/*pathology
Sulfones/*therapeutic use
Syphilis/*pathology
ADDITIONAL MESH HEADINGS:  Animal
Biopsy
Chancre/drug therapy
Chancre/microbiology
Drug Screening
English Abstract
Microscopy, Electron
Phagocytosis/drug effects
Rabbits
Skin/drug effects
Skin/ultrastructure
Time Factors
Treponema pallidum/drug effects
Treponema pallidum/ultrastructure
1990/01
1990/01 00:00
PUBLICATION TYPES:  JOURNAL ARTICLE
CAS REGISTRY NUMBERS:  0 (Sulfones)
133-65-3 (solasulfone)
25953-19-9 (Cefazolin)
LANGUAGES:  Rus

TITLE:  Unusual in vitro formation of cyst-like structures associated with human intestinal spirochaetosis.
AUTHORS:  Gebbers JO; Marder HP
AUTHOR AFFILIATION:  Institute of Pathology, Kantonsspital Lucerne, Switzerland.
SOURCE:  Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 1989 Apr;8(4):302-6
CITATION IDS:  PMID: 2497003 UI: 89231765
ABSTRACT:  Spirochaetes were isolated from rectal biopsies of three patients and successfully cultured. Enzymatic reactions and electron microscopy revealed spirochaetes resembling Brachyspira aalborgi. Examination of ultrathin sections of centrifugates of cultured spirochaetes yielded unusual cyst-like structures with an outer double membrane containing spirochaetes in different developmental stages. The protoplasmic cylinders seemed to originate from a large electron-dense focus in the cyst-like structures. The axial fibrils occurred as loosely distributed solitary structures in the cyst-like structures. Cysts were not found in the biopsy tissue. The encystment of the spirochaetes could be related to their protection, multiplication, spread and transmission.
MAIN MESH HEADINGS:  Colitis/*microbiology
Proctitis/*microbiology
Spirochaetales/*ultrastructure
Spirochaetales Infections/*microbiology
ADDITIONAL MESH HEADINGS:  Human
Microscopy, Electron
Rectum/microbiology
Spirochaetales/isolation & purification
1989/04
1989/01 00:00
PUBLICATION TYPES:  JOURNAL ARTICLE
LANGUAGES:  Eng

TITLE:  [Fine structure of oral spirochetes, especially axial fibrils and cyst like structure (author's transl)]
AUTHORS:  Asai Y
SOURCE:  Shigaku 1977 Feb;64(5):919-40
CITATION IDS:  PMID: 268542 UI: 77255726
MAIN MESH HEADINGS:  Spirochaeta/*ultrastructure
ADDITIONAL MESH HEADINGS:  Mouth/microbiology
1977/02
1977/01 00:00
PUBLICATION TYPES:  JOURNAL ARTICLE
LANGUAGES:  Jpn

TITLE:  Morphology of leptospires. pp. 19-37.
AUTHORS:  Ritchie AE
SOURCE:  In: Johnson RC, ed. The biology of parasitic spirochetes. New York, Academic Press, 1976. QW 155 S989 1975b. ;:
CITATION IDS:  PMID: 777559 UI: 76214994
MAIN MESH HEADINGS:  Leptospira/*ultrastructure
ADDITIONAL MESH HEADINGS:  Cell Membrane/ultrastructure
Cell Nucleus/ultrastructure
Cytoplasmic Granules/ultrastructure
Leptospira interrogans/ultrastructure
1976/08
1976/23 00:00
PUBLICATION TYPES:  MONOGRAPH
LANGUAGES:  Eng

TITLE:  [Granule formation in Leptospira]
VERNACULAR TITLE:  K voprosy o granuloobrazovanii u leptospir.
AUTHORS:  Kiktenko VS; Bakulina NA; Levina LF
SOURCE:  Biull Eksp Biol Med 1973 Oct;75(10):83-6
CITATION IDS:  PMID: 4780164 UI: 74106134
MAIN MESH HEADINGS:  Leptospira interrogans/*cytology
ADDITIONAL MESH HEADINGS:  Cytoplasmic Granules
English Abstract
Formaldehyde/pharmacology
Heat
Immune Sera/pharmacology
Leptospira interrogans/drug effects
Microscopy, Electron
Nystatin/pharmacology
Penicillin G/pharmacology
Sodium Chloride/pharmacology
Ultrasonics
1973/10
1973/01 00:00
PUBLICATION TYPES:  JOURNAL ARTICLE
LANGUAGES:  Rus

TITLE:  Morphological and ecological characteristics of Spirochaeta plicatilis.
AUTHORS:  Blakemore RP; Canale-Parola E
SOURCE:  Arch Mikrobiol 1973;89(4):273-89
CITATION IDS:  PMID: 4571290 UI: 73144309
MAIN MESH HEADINGS:  Spirochaeta/*cytology
ADDITIONAL MESH HEADINGS:  Anaerobiosis
Cell Movement
Cytoplasmic Granules
Ecology
Microscopy, Electron
Microscopy, Phase-Contrast
Species Specificity
Spirochaeta/physiology
1973/01
1973/01 00:00
PUBLICATION TYPES:  JOURNAL ARTICLE
LANGUAGES:  Eng

TITLE:  [Course and pathogenesis of neurotrophic osteoarthropathies]
VERNACULAR TITLE:  Beitrag zum Verlauf und zur Pathogenese der neurotrophischen Osteoarthropathien.
AUTHORS:  Fried K
SOURCE:  Fortschr Geb Rontgenstr Nuklearmed 1970 Nov;113(5):560-75
CITATION IDS:  PMID: 5535306 UI: 72008153
MAIN MESH HEADINGS:  *Arthropathy, Neurogenic
*Bone Diseases
ADDITIONAL MESH HEADINGS:  Aged
Arthropathy, Neurogenic/etiology
Arthropathy, Neurogenic/radiography
Bone Cysts/radiography
Bone Resorption/etiology
English Abstract
Female
Fractures
Human
Joint Diseases/radiography
Knee/radiography
Male
Middle Age
Nervous System/physiopathology
Osteolysis, Essential/etiology
Osteolysis, Essential/radiography
Tabes Dorsalis/radiography
Tomography
1970/11
1970/01 00:00
PUBLICATION TYPES:  JOURNAL ARTICLE
LANGUAGES:  Ger

TITLE:  [Various features of the submicroscopic structure of the cytoplasmic cylinder in leptospira]
VERNACULAR TITLE:  Nekotorye osobennosti submikroskopicheskoi struktury tsitoplazmaticheskogo tsilindra u leptospir.
AUTHORS:  Kats LN; Konstantinova ND; Anan'in VV
SOURCE:  Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol 1968 Mar;45(3):64-7
CITATION IDS:  PMID: 5729701 UI: 69212319
MAIN MESH HEADINGS:  *Cytoplasmic Granules
Leptospira/*cytology
ADDITIONAL MESH HEADINGS:  Cell Nucleus
Cytoplasm
Leptospira/analysis
Leptospira/drug effects
Microscopy, Electron
Polysaccharides, Bacterial
Ribonucleases
RNA/analysis
1968/03
1968/01 00:00
PUBLICATION TYPES:  JOURNAL ARTICLE
LANGUAGES:  Rus

TITLE:  [Electron microscopic studies of the Leptospira cyst]
VERNACULAR TITLE:  Elektronnomikroskopicheskoe issledovanie tsist u leptospir.
AUTHORS:  Kats LN; Konstantinova ND; Anan'in VV
SOURCE:  Dokl Akad Nauk SSSR 1967 Sep 21;176(3):710-1
CITATION IDS:  PMID: 5623854 UI: 70288398
MAIN MESH HEADINGS:  Leptospira/*cytology
ADDITIONAL MESH HEADINGS:  Microscopy, Electron
1967/09
1967/21 00:00
PUBLICATION TYPES:  JOURNAL ARTICLE
LANGUAGES:  Rus

Version: 11. April 2000.


Die Adresse dieser Seite ist http://www.lymenet.de/literatur/cysts.htm
Homepage dieses Server ist http://www.lymenet.de