Adhesion and Colonization of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Cecum of Mice

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2003.tb02795.x
• Publication Date: 2013-11-14T15:22:11Z
• Authors: Keiji Nagano; Kazuki Taguchi; Takumi Hara; Shin‐ichiro Yokoyama; Kenji Kawada; Hiroshi Mori
• Keywords: Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred ICR; 0303 health sciences; Microscopy, Confocal; Escherichia coli Proteins; Epithelial Cells; Escherichia coli O157; Actins; Bacterial Adhesion; 3. Good health; Feces; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome; Animals; Humans; Female; Cecum; Escherichia coli Infections; Gene Deletion; HeLa Cells

AbstractInfectious diseases due to enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) are characterized by diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. The adherence of EHEC on intestinal epithelial cells is a first step for developing these diseases. In the present study, we examined whether EHEC O157: H7 adhere to intestinal epithelial cells of mice and cause F‐actin accumulation in the epithelial cells following the intragastric inoculation of the pathogen. Fecal shedding of the EHEC O157:H7 strain was observed in ICR mice up to 3 weeks. Fecal shedding periods of the type III secretion system‐related gene (espA and sepL) deletion mutants were clearly shorter than that of the wild‐type EHEC O157:H7 strain. The EHEC O157:H7 colonies were found on the epithelial surfaces of the ceca in association with F‐actin accumulation beneath the attached bacteria.