A study of cell wall-deficient forms in placentae
Johnson, A.H. and Mattman, L.H.
VA Medical Center, Hampton, VA 23667 USA and
Nelson Medical Research Institute, Warren, Michigan, 48093, USA
The examination of a placenta homogenate filtrate concentrate by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed structures suggestive of aberrant bacterial forms. When 1 ml of filtrate was innoculated into 10 ml of veal infusion broth (VIB), turbidity, consistenly appeared in the culture tubes. Smears and cultures of the turbidity were negative for the wild type bacteria. One ml of the turbidity (growth) then was used to prepare veal infusion soft agar pour
plates. Smears and sub cultures of submerged micro colonies developing in pour plates again were negative for wild type bacteria. Micro colonies were excised from the soft agar for transfer to VIB+ 10% sucrose. After prolonged incubation (2-3 weeks) coiled filaments first appeared in the micro colonies followed by Gram positive rods (coryneforms/diptheroids) which failed to grow upon subculture. The failure to propagate the revertants in secondary culture for species identification suggests that they had nutritional deficiences and were not common skin contaminants. The difficulty in subculturing and characterizing the revertants points to a need to invoke molecular markers for the continued study of bacteria as pleomorphic creatures and possible cryptic endocytobionts in health and disease. The placenta should prove to be a good
model for such studies.
Tedeschi, G.G. et al. (1978) Electron mircoscopical evidence of the evolution of corynebacteria-like microorganisms within human erythrocytes. Experientia 34(4): 458-460
Tedeschi, G.G. et al. (1976) Unstable L-forms of micrococci in human foetal blood. Experienta 32: 925-926
| LOCATION |
DATE |
TIME |
| Lecture Hall I |
Thursday, April 9 |
02:20 pm |