<i>Chlamydia</i> induces centrosome and spindle defects in replicating cells.

<p>(A) End1/E6E7 cells were stained for centrosomes (green, top and bottom panel), mitotic spindles (green, middle panel), DNA (blue), and <i>Chlamydia</i> (red, infected panel). Uninfected cells had an average of 2.5±0.1 centrosomes/cell, and infected cells increased to an average of 3.5±0.1 centrosomes/cell, p<0.0001, N>150 (arrow). Uninfected End1s have an average of 21.2±4.6 percent multipolar spindles (arrow), and the infected cells to an average of 73.7±2.0 percent, p = 0.0005, N>150. The presence of multinucleated cells (stars) increased with infection from 6.7±0.8 to 36.6±3.3 percent, p = 0.0009, N>200. (B) COS-7 cells were treated and stained as above. Uninfected cells had 2.1±0.03 centrosomes/cell, and infection resulted in an increase to 2.8±0.2 centrosomes/cell, p = 0.0200, N>300. Uninfected COS-7s had 15.5±0.8 percent multipolar spindle formation, infected cells increased to 30.0±2.9 percent multipolar spindles, p = 0.0093, N>150. Uninfected cells were 13.9±1.9 percent multinucleated, and infected cells increased to 37.1±0.8 multinucleated, p = 0.0003, N>200. (C) Uninfected and infected 3T3 fibroblasts were evaluated as above. Uninfected 3T3 cells 2.2±0.1 centrosomes/cell, infected cells increased to 3.2±0.1 centrosomes/cell, p = 0.0014, N>300. Uninfected cells had 15.5±0.9 percent multipolar spindles, infected cells increased to 41.2±3.5 multipolar, p = 0.0021, N>150. Uninfected 3T3s were 2.9±0.01 percent multinucleated, and upon infection became 4.8±0.1 percent multinucleated, p<0.0001, N>200. Scale bars, 5 μm.