title: Stability of Chlamydophila pneumoniae in a harsh environment without a requirement for acanthamoebae.
abstract: The effect of actual interactions between Chlamydophila pneumoniae and amoebae (Acanthamoeba) on the survival of C. pneumoniae was investigated. C. pneumoniae and amoebae were detected in 75 soil samples by IFU assay and PCR. Although C. pneumoniae could not be cultured, the DNA prevalence of C. pneumoniae and amoebae in natural soil was 20% and 92% (no correlation between the prevalence of DNA was observed). The viability of C. pneumoniae spiked in autoclaved soil was assessed by IFU assay and RT-PCR. Although the number of infective progeny decreased for three days, transcripts of C. pneumoniae were detected for up to 98 days independently of amoebae. The stability of C. pneumoniae in liquid medium was also assessed by IFU assay and transmission electron microscopy. The bacteria could survive at 15 degrees C for 14 days independently of amoebae. Bacteria cultured without amoebae were confirmed to have normal structures. Thus, the presence of amoebae has no effect on C. pneumoniae survival, and the bacteria can survive in the absence of host cells for an extended period of time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Itaru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D050296:Microbial Viability; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D012987:Soil