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. 2002 Aug;70(8):4362-8.
doi: 10.1128/IAI.70.8.4362-4368.2002.

Tissue tropism of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains belonging to the O55 serogroup

R J Fitzhenry  1 , S Reece, L R Trabulsi, R Heuschkel, S Murch, M Thomson, G Frankel, A D Phillips
Affiliations

Tissue tropism of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains belonging to the O55 serogroup

R J Fitzhenry et al. Infect Immun. 2002 Aug.

Abstract

Four enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains belonging to the O55 serogroup (G21 and G30 [both O55:H6], G35 [O55:H-], and G58 [O55:H7]) were tested for their tissue tropism by using human intestinal in vitro organ culture. Strains showed restricted adhesion with attaching-and-effacing activity to follicle-associated epithelium of Peyer's patches, with no apparent adhesion to duodenum or colon. G35 and G58 express intimin gamma and show a similar tropism to intimin gamma-expressing enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O157:H7. However, strains G21 and G30 were unusual because they expressed intimin alpha and had a restricted tissue tropism of intimin gamma phenotype. The amino acid sequence of the carboxy-terminal 280 amino acids of intimin from G21 was determined. Comparison with the prototype intimin alpha from strain E2348/69 (O127:H6) showed a single amino acid difference (corresponding to Val907 and Ala907 in the whole intimins). This mutation was reproduced by site-directed mutagenesis in an intimin alpha plasmid template, pCVD438, with the hypothesis that it may induce a change in tropism. However, when the mutated plasmid was placed in both EPEC and EHEC backgrounds, duodenal adhesion in a manner similar to strain E2348/69 was evident upon in vitro organ culture. Thus, additional factor(s) unrelated to intimin exist in the O55:H6 genome that influence human intestinal tissue tropism.

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Figures

FIG. 1.
FIG. 1.
SEM of IVOC of O55 Strains. (A) Low-power view of lymphoid follicles within IVOC sample from ileal Peyer's patch region. (B to D) O55:H6 (B), O55:H− (C), and O55:H7 (D), showing adhesion of strains to the FAE of an ileal Peyer's patch. Bars: 100 μm (A), 0.5 μm (B and C), 5 μm (D).
FIG. 2.
FIG. 2.
TEM of IVOC of O55 Strains. (A to C) O55:H6 (A), O55:H− (B), and O55:H7 (C), showing A/E lesions on the FAE of an ileal Peyer's patch. Note the lack of pedestal formation. Bar, 0.5 μm.
FIG. 3.
FIG. 3.
Comparison of carboxy-terminal amino acid sequences of intimin α from E2348/69 (AAC 38392) and G21 (O55:H6). Amino acids are numbered according to the position in intimin α of E2348/69.
FIG. 4.
FIG. 4.
SEM of IVOC. (A and B) CVD206(pCPG2) (A) and ICC170(pCPG2) (B), both showing A/E lesion formation on the duodenum. Bar, 0.5 μm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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