Induction of L-phase variants of Nocardia caviae within intact murine lungs.
The data presented show that cells of Nocardia caviae 112 were converted to cell wall-deficient microbial variants within the intact murine lung after intranasal administration. At the time that these L-phase variants were recovered in large numbers from the lung, there was a correspondingly enhanced inflammation leading to alveolar consolidation and animal death. During the peak of this response (at 1 week after infection), normal nocardial cells were neither isolated from nor seen within the lung. It is suggested that the conversion of these normal nocardial cells to their L-phase variant leads to this extensive pulmonary damage. Furthermore, the L-phase organisms appear to play an active role in this pathological effect since introduction of similar amounts of killed nocardial cells into the lungs of the mice failed to produce a similar response.
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007740:L Forms / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D009615:Nocardia / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology