SB contributed intellectually

since he has studied the Hc2 protein in the past. All authors participated in the writing process.”
“Background In 1956, mycoplasma and cell cultures were first associated in laboratory Selleckchem AZD0530 contamination [1]. This contamination affects research by invalidating results in diagnosis. However interference by these bacteria in mammalian non phagocytic cell cultures has been used to study mollicute biology [2]. The opportunism of Mollicutes is a challenging subject. These microbes are diverse enough to explain their relationship variety with the host cells [3]. The adhesion seems crucial for their pathogenicity [4]. In addition, some mollicutes have been detected inside non naturally phagocytic cells. In fact, the intracellular location is well protected from the immune system and some antibiotics [3]. The use of non-phagocytic cells to study mollicutes has been of great interest mainly since Mycoplasma fermentans was initially considered a cofactor in the pathogenesis of AIDS [5]. Other mycoplasmas showed this same characteristic when inoculated in non-phagocytic cells such as M. fermentans

[6], M. pneumoniae [7], M. genitalium [8] and M. gallisepticum [9]. Ureaplasma diversum is a bovine-originated mollicute, first isolated in 1969 and considered a non-pathogenic species. Although detected in healthy animals, it is currently considered a pathogenic species due to its strong association with cattle BMS-777607 diseases such as placentitis, fetal alveolitis, abortion and birth of weak calves [10]. As with most animal mycoplasmosis, the cause of Ureaplasma-associated reproductive disease is multifactorial [11]. In bulls, this ureaplasma is an important pathogen of the genital tract, involved in such diseases as lowered sperm motility, seminal vesiculitis, and epididymitis [12]. Nevertheless, little is known about the virulence and pathogenic mechanisms of this mollicute. Because the invasion of U. diversum in not known, we inoculated this mollicute in Hep-2 cells and observed this infection through Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy

(CLSM) and used a gentamicin invasion assay. Results U. diversum adhesion and invasion on Hep-2 cells observed by CLSM The images of infected cells were from the apical surface to the basolateral region and differentiated the actin filaments in green, from check details the blue luminescence of nuclei. Therefore the ureaplasmas were detected in red luminescence, discriminating their arrangements in the serial sections of the infected cells. The Dil solution did not show ureaplasmal cytotoxicity (data not presented) and allowed for differentiating the Hep-2 cells from ureaplasmal arrangements. Non-infected Hep-2 cells did not exhibit distinct intracellular Dil fluorescence. The images obtained showed adhesion and invasion of U. diversum in Hep-2 cells (figure 1). After one minute of infection, a few ureaplasmal cells were detected scattered and inside the Hep-2 cells (figure 1.1).