TY - JOUR
T1 - Infection and replication of Bartonella species within a tick cell line
AU - Billeter, Sarah A.
AU - Diniz, Pedro Paulo V.P.
AU - Battisti, James M.
AU - Munderloh, Ulrike G.
AU - Breitschwerdt, Edward B.
AU - Levy, Michael G.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments This study was supported in part by a grant from the North Carolina State University Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research.
PY - 2009/10
Y1 - 2009/10
N2 - Bartonella species are fastidious, gram negative bacteria, some of which are transmitted by arthropod vectors, including fleas, sandflies, and lice. There is very little information regarding the interaction and/or transmission capabilities of Bartonella species by ticks. In the present study, we demonstrate successful infection of the Amblyomma americanum cell line, AAE12, by seven Bartonella isolates and three Candidatus Bartonella species by electron or light microscopy. With the exception of Bartonella bovis, infection with all other examined Bartonella species induced cytopathic effects characterized by heavy cellular vacuolization and eventually cell lysis. Furthermore, using quantitative real time PCR (qPCR), we demonstrated significant amplification of two B. henselae genotype I isolates in the A. americanum cell line over a 5 days period. Ultimately, tick-cell derived Bartonella antigens may prove useful for the development of more sensitive diagnostic reagents and may assist in the development of an effective vaccine to prevent the further spread of disease caused by these organisms.
AB - Bartonella species are fastidious, gram negative bacteria, some of which are transmitted by arthropod vectors, including fleas, sandflies, and lice. There is very little information regarding the interaction and/or transmission capabilities of Bartonella species by ticks. In the present study, we demonstrate successful infection of the Amblyomma americanum cell line, AAE12, by seven Bartonella isolates and three Candidatus Bartonella species by electron or light microscopy. With the exception of Bartonella bovis, infection with all other examined Bartonella species induced cytopathic effects characterized by heavy cellular vacuolization and eventually cell lysis. Furthermore, using quantitative real time PCR (qPCR), we demonstrated significant amplification of two B. henselae genotype I isolates in the A. americanum cell line over a 5 days period. Ultimately, tick-cell derived Bartonella antigens may prove useful for the development of more sensitive diagnostic reagents and may assist in the development of an effective vaccine to prevent the further spread of disease caused by these organisms.
KW - Bacteria
KW - Bartonella species
KW - Cell culture
KW - Replication
KW - Tick cell lines
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U2 - 10.1007/s10493-009-9255-1
DO - 10.1007/s10493-009-9255-1
M3 - Article
C2 - 19242658
AN - SCOPUS:70350094676
SN - 0168-8162
VL - 49
SP - 193
EP - 208
JO - Experimental and Applied Acarology
JF - Experimental and Applied Acarology
IS - 3
ER -
