Interactions of Nocardia asteroides with murine glia cells in culture.

Astrocytes and microglia were obtained from brains of newborn mice and infected with Nocardia asteroides. Scanning electron micrographs showed nocardiae adhering to the astrocyte cell surface and entering the cytoplasm. After 6 h of incubation the intracellular nocardiae appeared as filaments, demonstrating that growth was occurring. In contrast, the microglia phagocytized nocardiae, but after 6 h the presence of coccoid cells indicated that nocardial growth was inhibited.