Helicobacter pylori: A chameleon-like approach to life

Figure 1 Morphological appearance of Helicobacter pylori. A: Rod-shaped; B: U-shaped; C: Coccoid form. Arrows show the hypothetical alternative pathway between the different forms. Transmission electron microscope: original magnification × 20000.

Figure 2 Biofilm of Helicobacter pylori. A: Scanning electron micrograph of mature biofilm on a polystyrene surface with rod shaped and coccoid cells embedded in an abundant matrix. Insert: Confocal laser scanning microscopy image of mature in vitro biofilm with viable (green) and dead (red) cells, live/dead staining; B: Clusters of coccoid Helicobacter pylori cells in the gastric mucosa also embedded in a matrix (insert). Bars represent 5 μm.