Survival and growth of Yersinia pestis within macrophages and an effect of the loss of the 47-megadalton plasmid on growth in macrophages.

The survival and growth of Yersinia pestis cells within mouse peritoneal cavities and within mouse peritoneal macrophages maintained in vitro was examined. Two strains were used which differed only in that one (KIM) contained the 47-megadalton plasmid associated with virulence and the second (KIM1) lacked this plasmid. The KIM cells, but not the KIM1 cells, acquired some resistance to phagocytosis during growth at 37 degrees C which was not evident when cells were grown at 26 degrees C. Whether previously grown at 26 or 37 degrees C, however, a substantial portion of the cells of either strain which were phagocytized were apparently killed after phagocytosis in vivo, although this was not observed in vitro. KIM cells which survived phagocytosis proliferated within macrophages in vivo, but no increase in viable cells was seen with the KIM1 cells. Growth of the KIM1 cells within macrophages in vitro required that a complex supportive medium be used in which the bacteria could have grown if extracellular. This was not the case for the KIM cells which proliferated within macrophages supported in medium not permissive to bacterial growth. After phagocytosis of cells of either strain by macrophages maintained in vitro, phagolysosome formation occurred normally, as shown by the acridine orange dye staining technique. KIM and KIM1 cells were equally sensitive to hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion, although the sensitivity in each case varied with growth temperature. The oxidative burst, as determined by the luminol chemiluminescence assay, was low when compared with that seen after phagocytosis of Escherichia coli cells. Chemiluminescence after phagocytosis of yeast cells by macrophages which had engulfed KIM or KIM1 was also low. We conclude that survival within macrophages is substantially independent of the 47-megadalton plasmid and may be a consequence, as least in part, of blockage of the oxidative burst or rapid removal of the oxidizing compounds formed. The 47-megadalton plasmid is apparently required for subsequent proliferation within the macrophage.