title: Enhanced invasion of Tyzzer's organism into cultured mouse hepatocytes by cytochalasin D.
abstract: The effects of cytoskeleton inhibitors on the invasion of Tyzzer's organism, an obligate intracellular bacterium, into cultured mouse hepatocytes were examined by double immunofluorescence observation and plaque assay. The two techniques gave comparable results. Invasion of bacteria was significantly enhanced by cytochalasin D, a microfilament disrupting drug, and markedly suppressed by vinblastine, a microtubule inhibitor. Another microtubule inhibitor, colchicine, did not show any substantial effect. However, the cytoskeletal system of cultured mouse hepatocytes was sensitive to these three drugs, as judged by inhibition of FITC-dextran uptake. These results suggest that Tyzzer's organisms invade host cells by a unique mechanism that is suppressed by the normal functions of host cell microfilaments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo, Japan. ask@hongo.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003013:Clostridium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D015638:Cytochalasin D / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects; D003911:Dextrans / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D019384:Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans; D019384:Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; C015219:fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran; D015638:Cytochalasin D; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate