Cabezascruz2013 PDF
Cabezascruz2013 PDF
Cabezascruz2013 PDF
Veterinary Microbiology
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/vetmic
A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T
Article history: Recently, we reported the in vitro isolation and the molecular characterization of a new
Received 6 May 2013 species of Ehrlichia (Ehrlichia mineirensis) from haemolymph of Brazilian Rhipicephalus
Received in revised form 31 July 2013 (Boophilus) microplus ticks. This organism shows an ortholog of Ehrlichia canis major
Accepted 3 August 2013 immunogenic protein gp36 with a new structure of tandem repeats. In the present study,
we used electron microscopy (high pressure freezing and freeze substitution preparative
Keywords: techniques) to characterize morphologically this new agent growing in IDE8 tick cells. The
Ehrlichia mineirensis results showed that E. mineirensis shares ultrastructural features with other members of
Electron microscopy
the genus Ehrlichia (Ehrlichia muris, E. canis and Ehrlichia chaffeensis); typical
In vitro culture
parasitophorous vacuoles (morulae) contain electron-dense and reticulated Ehrlichiae
embedded inside a fibrillar matrix. We observed the characteristic Gram-negative-type
cell wall composed of both cytoplasmic and rippled outer membrane. We found organisms
undergoing binary fission and rarely altered cells with unusual invagination of the
cytoplasmic membrane.
ß 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Please cite this article in press as: Cabezas-Cruz, A., et al., Ultrastructure of Ehrlichia mineirensis, a new member of the
Ehrlichia genus. Vet. Microbiol. (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.08.001
G Model
VETMIC-6299; No. of Pages 4
Please cite this article in press as: Cabezas-Cruz, A., et al., Ultrastructure of Ehrlichia mineirensis, a new member of the
Ehrlichia genus. Vet. Microbiol. (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.08.001
G Model
VETMIC-6299; No. of Pages 4
Fig. 2. Electron micrograph of Ehrlichia mineirensis – infected IDE8 cells. (A) Cells containing phagolysosomes/secondary lysosomes (white asterisk) and
numerous vacuoles with bacteria. (B) Electron-dense bodies and small vesicles (black arrows) inside membrane-lined vacuoles. The inset shows in detail
the rippled membrane. (C) Reticulate cells undergoing binary fission. (D) The vacuole containing reticulate bodies that have ruffled outer membrane and
small vesicles (black arrows) is surrounded with mitochondria (Mi) and microtubules (detail in inset, white arrows). (E) A cisterna of endoplasmic reticulum
in tight contact with the membrane of the morulae.
successful ultrastructural characterization of this new et al., 2012) and present studies provide new insides in the
agent in IDE8 cells using electron microscopy. Even biology of this new species of the genus Ehrlichia.
thought further studies are needed to clarify the patho-
genic potential of this agent, our recent (Cabezas-Cruz Author’s contributions
Funding
Competing interests
Fig. 3. Ehrlichia mineirensis with an unusual morphological structure. The
figure shows a cell with an invagination of the membrane, small vesicles The authors have declared that no competing interests
are shown (arrow). exist.
Please cite this article in press as: Cabezas-Cruz, A., et al., Ultrastructure of Ehrlichia mineirensis, a new member of the
Ehrlichia genus. Vet. Microbiol. (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.08.001
G Model
VETMIC-6299; No. of Pages 4
Dedonder, S., Cheng, C., Willard, L., Boyle, D., Ganta, R., 2012. Transmis-
Acknowledgements sion electron microscopy reveals distinct macrophage- and tick
cell-specific morphological stages of Ehrlichia chaffeensis. PLoS
The authors thank Dr Ulrike G. Munderloh (University ONE 7, e36749.
Dumler, S., Barbet, A., Bekker, C., Dasch, G., Palmer, G., Ray Stuart, Rikihisa,
of Minnesota, USA) for permission to use the IDE8 cell line.
Y., Rurangirwa, F., 2001. Reorganization of genera in the families
Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae in the order Rickettsiales: uni-
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Please cite this article in press as: Cabezas-Cruz, A., et al., Ultrastructure of Ehrlichia mineirensis, a new member of the
Ehrlichia genus. Vet. Microbiol. (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.08.001