The Type 4 Pili of EnterohemorrhagicEscherichia coliO157:H7 Are Multipurpose Structures with Pathogenic Attributes

• DOI: 10.1128/jb.01306-08
• Publication Date: 2008-10-25T00:54:29Z
• Authors: Juan Xicohtencatl...; Valério Monteiro...; Zeus Saldaña; Maria A. Ledesma; Jose Luís Puente; Jorge A. Girón
• Keywords: Fimbriae Proteins; Pathogenic Escherichia coli; Escherichia

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 produces long bundles of polar type 4 pili (T4P) called HCP (for hemorrhagic pili) that form physical bridges between bacteria associating with human and animal epithelial cells. Here, we sought to further investigate whether possessed other pathogenicity attributes associated T4P production. Comparative studies performed wild-type EHEC EDL933 an isogenic hcpA mutant revealed play different roles in the biology this organism. We found addition promoting bacterial attachment host cells, mediate (i) invasion (ii) hemagglutination rabbit erythrocytes, (iii) interbacterial connections conducive biofilm formation, (iv) specific binding extracellular matrix proteins laminin fibronectin but not collagen, (v) twitching motility. Nonadherent laboratory E. strain HB101 complemented hcpABC genes on plasmid pJX22, which specifies for overproduction EDL933, became hyperadherent invasive produced a thick biofilm, suggesting presence confers HB101(pJX22) new otherwise exhibited by HB101. Analogous are involved pathogenesis several infectious diseases, our data strongly suggest display multiple functions may contribute colonization hosts virulence, survival, transmission food-borne pathogen.