Two strains of Streptococcus dysgalactiae, isolated from cows with mastitis, were assayed for their ability to invade, multiply, and induce damage to a bovine mammary epithelial cell line, MAC-T. Invasion of S. dysgalactiae into MAC-T cells was time-dependent, and invasion was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by cytochalasin B and D, but not by colchicine. The invasion process did not appear to affect viability of mammary epithelial cells, but cellular damage was induced, as indicated by a time-dependent release of increasing amounts of lactate dehydrogenase. No net intracellular bacterial growth was observed, but S. dysgalactiae survived inside MAC-T cells. These results indicated that S. dysgalactiae invaded epithelial cells, induced cellular damage, and was capable of persisting inside bovine mammary epithelial cells.
