The ability of some Yersinia enterocolitica strains to invade HeLa cells

Abstract

Many types of Y. enterocolitica have been isolated from animal, environmental, food and human sources but their public health significance remains uncertain. Seventy two strains of Y. enterocolitica were tested for their abilities to invade HeLa [human cervical carcinoma] cells. The typical clinical strains invade HeLa cells like the other species of invasion pathogens. This characteristic remains even in old stock cultures and can be temperature-sensitive like the motility characteristic. With the use of electron micrographs it was demonstrated that the bacteria were truly intracellular and not merely adhering to the HeLa cell membrane. The esculin- and salicin-positive typical clinical strains did not invade HeLa cells. None of 34 food and water isolates were invasive by this test. The negative Y. enterocolitica strains did not adhere to the cells and cause ambiguous results. The HeLa cell test is simple, inexpensive, rapid and should prove a useful marker for screening the Y. enterocolitica isolates.