The effect of ions on the adhesion and internalization of Chlamydia trachomatis by HeLa cells.
The adhesion and internalization of Chlamydia trachomatis by HeLa cells was unaffected by removal of K+, Mg2+, or glucose from the incubation medium, slightly reduced by removal of Na+, and significantly reduced by omission of Ca2+, Sr2+, Mg2+, and Mn2+ could replace Ca2+ in the adhesion but only Sr2+ supported internalization, and La3+, Co2+, Fe3+, Ba2+, and Zn2+ all reduced internalization more than adhesion. During initial infection there was no measurable difference in the uptake or release of 45Ca2+ or 86Rb+ between infected and noninfected HeLa monolayers. Infection was not prevented by pretreatment of the monolayers with the calcium channel blockers, verapamil, D600, and nitrendipine, or the calmodulin inhibitors, TMB-8 or trifluperazine. The results suggest that divalent cations are not essential for chlamydial infection but that the process of internalization is facilitated by the presence of cations, particularly Na+ and Ca2+.
D000268:Adhesiveness; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002412:Cations / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002413:Cations, Divalent / Q000494:pharmacology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D012964:Sodium / Q000494:pharmacology
D002412:Cations; D002413:Cations, Divalent; D012964:Sodium; D002118:Calcium