Free-living amoebae promote growth and survival of Helicobacter pylori

摘要: Transmission routes of Helicobacter pylori remain poorly understood. The finding bacterial DNA in water suggests the involvement environmental factors. Here we report successful co-cultivation H. with Acanthamoeba castellanii, which circumvents requirement this bacterium for precise microaerobic conditions and a large supply nutrients order to grow. was able propagate viable several weeks presence amoebae under experimental conditions. Intact, metabolically active bacteria could be demonstrated vacuoles. putative dependence on free-living nature important respect transmission prevalence, as shown some other pathogenic bacteria.