Electron-microscopic study of the effect of various extractants on the morphology of Coxiella burnetii.

This paper presents the results of the effect of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) at two different temperatures and the effect of a mixture of detergents (D) on Coxiella burnetii. Both TCA and D caused a large destruction of C. burnetii cells. In both cases complexes of high-molar-mass components from the outer membrane were extracted. In the D case not only proteins but a mixture with other high-molar-mass structures were released from the destroyed cells. By extraction of TCA, the antigenic complex composed of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), proteins and phospholipids was released. The effect of the D mixture on C. burnetii causes their complete destruction. The TCA causes a surface destruction of cells but it does not cause complete disintegration. The small-cell variants (SCV) in both cases were shown to be more stable compared to the large-cell variants (LCV).