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Impact of Amoebae, Bacteria, and Tetrahymena on Legionella pneumophila Multiplication and Distribution in an Aquatic Environment, Page 1 of 2
< Previous page Next page > /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1128/9781555817985/9781555812300_Chap30-1.gif /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1128/9781555817985/9781555812300_Chap30-2.gifAbstract:
This chapter aims at defining a minimum multiplicity of infection (MOI) and determining if the presence of non-Legionella species of bacteria would influence the recovery of Legionella pneumophila CFU during replication and lysis of amoebae host cells. It also aims at documenting the impact of adding the free-swimming ciliate Tetrahymena to the amplified number of Legionella after they had lysed the population of amoebae host cells. If amoebae infection by L. pneumophila was the result of inadvertent contact and subsequent phagocytosis, an inhibitory effect might have been expected since addition of exogenous bacteria would likewise result in increased inadvertent contact with phagocytosis, and thus diminish potential contact and uptake of virulent L. pneumophila. As a direct result of L. pneumophila amplification, amoebae lysed, liberating the bacteria, which were then concentrated into vesicles by the Tetrahymena sp. A conclusion reached in this study is that L. pneumophila can initiate infection in amoebae at an MOI considerably lower than often used in laboratory studies.