Pushkareva V I, Emel'ianenko E N, Didenko L V, Konstantinova N D, Ponomareva L V, Litvin V Iu, Gintsburg A L
Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russia.
Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol. 1998 Sep-Oct(5):9-13.
The dynamics of the transition of Y.pseudotuberculosis to the latent (noncultivable) state in sterile soil extraction and in soil extraction, containing Scenedesmus algae or their exometabolites, was evaluated by the bacteriological method and with the use of polymerase chain reaction. The formation of Y.pseudotuberculosis latent forms achieved its highest rate under the action of algal exometabolites (on day 11), while in the presence of algal cells such formation was delayed to 3-5 months. The partial reversion of Y.pseudotuberculosis nonculativable forms to vegetative, bacteriologically detectable forms occurred under the action of fetal serum, as well as live or killed infusoria. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that noncultivable Y.pseudotuberculosis had a round form, diminished cell size, denser cytoplasm and enlarged cytoplasmic space. The reversible transition of bacteria to the latent state is regarded as their adaptation to unfavorable factors during their existence in soils and water reservoirs.