Culturing of cells on bacteria.

<p>(A) DIC images of AX2 cells cultured axenically in HL5 medium and of NC4 cells cultured in a suspension of <i>K</i>. <i>aerogenes</i> bacteria. A disadvantage of growth with bacteria is that bacteria obscure the <i>Dictyostelium</i> cells. (B) <i>Dictyostelium</i> cells grow much faster on bacteria than in HL5 medium. Cells were grown in tissue-culture dishes with the food source indicated. (C) The adhesion of <i>Dictyostelium</i> cells is impaired by co-culturing with <i>E</i>. <i>coli</i>. Cells in 9 cm Petri dishes were shaken in 10 ml of SorMC buffer supplemented with bacteria to an OD₆₀₀ of 2 on a rotary shaker at the speeds indicated for 30 minutes. The medium was then collected, the cells spun down, resuspended and counted. The cells remaining on the plate were rinsed off with SorMC, spun down, resuspended and counted. Error bars show mean and SD of at least 3 experiments.