Induced engulfment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae by tissue culture cells.

Engulfment of gonococci by mammalian tissue culture cells was examined as a model of the penetration of host cells in gonorrhea. Engulfment required viable organisms; killing the gonococci with heat or refrigeration abolished the process. Engulfment also required tissue culture cell microtubule- and microfilament-dependent movement; treating the cells with cytochalasin B (0.5 micrograms/ml) or demecolcine (Colcemid; Ciba-Geigy AG, Basel, Switzerland) (10 micrograms/ml) also prevented his process.