Infection of Cell Cultures by Trachoma Agent: Enhancement by DEAE-Dextran

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
It has been reported that pretreatment of cell cultures with DEAE-dextran enhanced infectivity of several microbial agents for the cells in vitro. In the present experiments this effect was demonstrated with trachoma organisms. Pretreatment of irradiated McCoy cells with DEAE-dextran increased the number of cells infected with trachoma agent, when compared with nontreated controls. Titrations of infectivity of the inoculated cell cultures in eggs showed a corresponding increase in the number of infectious particles in the DEAE-dextran-treated cultures. Most current methods in use for growth of trachoma agent require centrifugation of the infectious inoculum onto monolayers of irradiated McCoy cells. Use of DEAE-dextran may permit elimination of the centrifugation and an increase in production of trachoma antigen in cell cultures.