Invasion and intracellular trafficking of Brucella abortus in nonphagocytic cells.

Brucella abortus is a facultative intracellular parasite that promotes its own internalization in nonphagocytic cells. The bacterium initially interacts with compartments of the early endocytic cascade, then rapidly segregates from this intracellular pathway and associates with the autophagocytic cascade. During the late stages of infection, Brucella proliferates within the endoplasmic reticulum of host cells.