Localization of the lice symbionts
Both the specific Neisseriaceae and the universal bacterial probes
hybridized to bacteria located within DAPI-stained cells
(~20-30 μm). In females, these putative bacteriocytes
formed weakly adherent clusters found above ovarial ampullae. The two
probes did not provide entirely overlapping patterns (Figure 4).
However, it is difficult to decide whether this difference is due to
presence of two different bacteria within the bacteriocytes or due to
the difference in signal intensity produced by chemically distinct
chromophores. Many bacteriocytes containing intracellular bacteria were
also found in the posterior part of abdomen in male lice
(SupplementaryInformation/SupplementaryFigure4).