Abstract
Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most successful food-borne human pathogens. Here we use electron cryotomography to explore the ultrastructure of C. jejuni cells in logarithmically growing cultures. This provides the first look at this pathogen in a near-native state at macromolecular resolution (∼5 nm). We find a surprisingly complex polar architecture that includes ribosome exclusion zones, polyphosphate storage granules, extensive collar-shaped chemoreceptor arrays, and elaborate flagellar motors.
Highlights
Campylobacter spp. are the major bacterial cause of food poisoning in the United States with ~45,000 annual cases identified and an estimated 800,000 total infections (Crim 2013)
MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
A strain of C. jejuni was chosen for its medical relevance, as it was originally isolated from the feces of a human infant diagnosed with Guillain–Barre syndrome (GBS)
Summary
Campylobacter spp. are the major bacterial cause of food poisoning in the United States with ~45,000 annual cases identified and an estimated 800,000 total infections (Crim 2013). This approach revealed a complex polar architecture including a large flagellar motor, a conical chemoreceptor array, polyphosphate storage granules, and surprising polar ribosome exclusion zone (REZ). The logarithmic cells were prepared for electron microscopy by the addition of colloidal gold fiducial markers and flash frozen on carbon grids containing 2 lm holes.
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