In vitro interaction of Neisseria gonorrhoeae type 1 and type 4 with tissue culture cells.

As a basis for studies of gonococcal pathogenicity, tissue culture cells were infected with type 1 or type 4 Neisseria gonorrhoeae to determine intracellular viability. A simple and objective means of measurement was devised, based on the uptake of tritiated protein and deoxyribonucleic acid precursors by cycloheximide-inhibited cells infected with gonococci. Cycloheximide was found to inhibit protein synthesis by over 97% tissue culture cells at a concentration of 100 microng/ml. In contrast, N, gonorrhoeae was found to be highly resistant to this antibiotic, and protein synthesis was unaffected by concentrations up to 1,000 microng/ml. Extracellular gonococci were eliminated by treatment with high concentrations of penicillin during cycloheximide inhibition and prior to the addition of radioisotope. Levels of protein and deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis by N. gonorrhoeae in the cycloheximide-treated cells were significantly higher in T1-infected cells (RE2, HeLa, or HEp-2) than in the corresponding T4-infected cells. No differences were observed in tissue cell susceptibility to gonococcal infection. Intracytoplasmic localization of N. gonorrhoeae was confirmed by electron microscopy.