The interaction between Neisseria gonorrhoeae and the human cornea in organ culture. An electron microscopic study
- PMID: 3139497
- DOI: 10.1007/BF02172964
The interaction between Neisseria gonorrhoeae and the human cornea in organ culture. An electron microscopic study
Abstract
Explants of human corneas in organ culture were used to study the interaction between Neisseria gonorrhoeae and human corneal epithelium at an ultrastructural level. scanning electron microscopy revealed that infection of the corneal explants with N. gonorrhoeae resulted in a rapid adherence of the bacteria to the cell surface. This attachment was probably mediated by pili since only piliated strains were able to adhere to the cells. Upon attachment the bacteria appeared to become engulfed by the epithelial cells. Transmission electron microscopy revealed gonococci apparently lying within vacuoles inside the cells within 1 h after inoculation of the bacteria. At prolonged infection (8-24 h), the thickness of the epithelium was found to be considerably reduced. This thinning of the cornea was probably caused by a continuous desquamation of infected cells. Taken together, the present data demonstrate that Neisseria gonorrhoeae is able to adhere and penetrate into intact corneal epithelium and furthermore indicate that human cornea explants in organ culture are a useful model in studies of bacterial-epithelial cell interaction.
Similar articles
-
Experimental infection of native human ureteral tissue with Neisseria gonorrhoeae: adhesion, invasion, intracellular fate, exocytosis, and passage through a stratified epithelium.Infect Immun. 1997 Aug;65(8):3391-8. doi: 10.1128/iai.65.8.3391-3398.1997. Infect Immun. 1997. PMID: 9234803 Free PMC article.
-
Escherichia coli expressing a Neisseria gonorrhoeae opacity-associated outer membrane protein invade human cervical and endometrial epithelial cell lines.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Jun 15;89(12):5512-6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.12.5512. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992. PMID: 1608963 Free PMC article.
-
Electrofusion of individual animal cells directly to intact corneal epithelial tissue.Biochim Biophys Acta. 1989 Mar 27;980(1):9-14. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(89)90193-4. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1989. PMID: 2493813
-
[Adherence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to the rabbit corneal epithelium].Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi. 1990 Mar;94(3):269-76. Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi. 1990. PMID: 2118720 Japanese.
-
Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of bacterial attachment to mucosal surfaces with particular reference to the human fallopian tube.Scan Electron Microsc. 1985;(Pt 3):1183-90. Scan Electron Microsc. 1985. PMID: 3934746 Review.
Cited by
-
Regulatory T cells are locally induced during intravaginal infection of mice with Neisseria gonorrhoeae.Infect Immun. 2008 Dec;76(12):5456-65. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00552-08. Epub 2008 Sep 29. Infect Immun. 2008. PMID: 18824531 Free PMC article.
-
Pili and lipopolysaccharide of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bind to the glycolipid asialo GM1.Infect Immun. 1994 Oct;62(10):4572-9. doi: 10.1128/iai.62.10.4572-4579.1994. Infect Immun. 1994. PMID: 7927723 Free PMC article.
-
Ultrastructural analysis of primary human urethral epithelial cell cultures infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae.Infect Immun. 1997 Jun;65(6):2420-7. doi: 10.1128/iai.65.6.2420-2427.1997. Infect Immun. 1997. PMID: 9169783 Free PMC article.
-
A Brief History and Advancement of Contraceptive Multipurpose Prevention Technology (cMPT) Products.Open Access J Contracept. 2023 Jun 13;14:83-94. doi: 10.2147/OAJC.S375634. eCollection 2023. Open Access J Contracept. 2023. PMID: 37332341 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Virulence functions and antigen variation in pathogenic Neisseriae.Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1988;54(5):421-30. doi: 10.1007/BF00461860. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1988. PMID: 2904799 Review. No abstract available.