Fate of phase I and phase II Coxiella burnetii in several macrophage-like tumor cell lines

Several macrophage-like tumor cell lines of murine origin were exposed to phase I and phase II Coxiella burnetii, and the subsequent fate of the parasites was determined by electron and bright-field microscopy. Phase I C. burnetii proliferated within and established a persistent infection of P388D1, J774, and PU-5-IR cell lines but not of WEHI-3 and WEHI-274 cell lines. Phase II C. burnetii, however, entered into and persistently infected all five cell lines. The parasites proliferated within vacuoles. Macrophage cell lines persistently infected with phase I and phase II C. burnetii were maintained for over 200 and 100 days, respectively. Within P388D1 cells, the phase I C. burnetii converted, in part, to phase II; phase II organisms remained in the phase II state. The differential fate of the two rickettsial phases after exposure to the WEHI-3 and WEHI-274 cells may be attributable to surface differences such as lipopolysaccharide content.