Accelerated development of genital Chlamydia trachomatis serovar E in McCoy cells grown on microcarrier beads

Chlamydia trachomatis serovar E is a major cause of bacterially-acquired sexually transmitted infections. Stock cultures of these obligate intracellular bacteria are often propogated in McCoy cells. We recently reported that greater infectious titers of chlamydiae could be obtained if the McCoy cells were cultured on collagen-coated microcarrier beads versus plastic flasks, although the reason for the difference in efficiency was not clear. This study analyzed the development of C. trachomatis grown in McCoy cells by the two methods. Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed an accelerated chlamydial development, with maturation of reticulate bodies into elementary bodies sooner in McCoy cells grown on the porous substratum. Comparison of particle counts versus infectivity titers indicated the production of fewer numbers of elementary bodies but which were highly infectious sooner from the infected McCoy cell-microcarrier bead cultures than from duplicate infected McCoy cell cultures grown in plastic tissue culture flasks.