Chemical and biochemical changes in subcellular fractions of guinea pig liver during infection with Coxiella burneti.

Livers of uninfected guinea pigs and of guinea pigs infected with Coxiella burneti were fractionated into smooth endoplasmic reticulum, rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), pellet, and cell sap fractions. The ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein of each fraction were determined, and the phosphorylase, glucose-6-phosphatase, and glucosyl transferase (glycogen synthetase) activities of each fraction were measured. Decreased RNA, protein, and enzyme activities were found in the RER and pellet fractions of infected livers, with the greatest differences in the RER. The evidence indicates a solubilization of the phosphorylase and synthetase, with the enzymes moving from the RER and glycogen-containing pellet fraction to the cell sap. The data suggest the RER as a target during Q fever.