Two stages of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli intestinal pathogenicity are up and down-regulated by the epithelial cell differentiation (original) (raw)

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) strains enter and survive within cultured intestinal epithelial cells

Microbial Pathogenesis, 2008

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is an emerging pathogen associated to cases of acute or persistent diarrhea in children and adults from developed and developing countries. These microorganisms also have been isolated from human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. EAEC exhibits aggregative adherence (AA) in HEp-2 cells. This pattern is characterized by the production of bacteria aggregates adhered to monolayer cultured cells with a ''stacked brick'' phenotype. The AA pattern is related to the presence of a 60 MDa plasmid (pAA). In the present study, we evaluated the adherence, invasion and persistent survival of five EAEC strains with Caco-2 and T84 cells, by a bacteria invasion assay and transmission electron microscopy. EAEC isolated from cases of acute infantile diarrhea can be internalized by intestinal epithelial cells cultivated in vitro, suggesting that these strains may employ a mechanism of host cell invasion to colonize the intestinal mucosa. Results showed that EAEC strains could survive intracellularly up to 72 h. Our data support evidence that EAEC is able to invade, persist and replicate within intestinal cells for extended time. This strategy may be advantageous to EAEC in colonization and survival, favoring the exploitation of an intracellular niche where these strains are protected against host clearance mechanisms, immune system and antibiotic treatment. Intracellular persistence of EAEC may be associated with development of persistent diarrhea associated to these microorganisms. To our knowledge, this is the first report of EAEC intracellular survival in cultured intestinal epithelial cells.

Interactions Between Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and Epithelial Cells

Clinical Infectious Diseases, 1999

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) may be considered a paradigm for a multistage interaction between pathogen and host cell. EPEC strains produce a type IV pilus that is associated with initial adherence to host cells, and these strains possess a type III secretion apparatus that is necessary for transducing signals to host cells. Secretion of three Esp proteins is required for activation of a phosphotyrosine-containing receptor that allows EPEC to bind intimately to host cells via the bacterial outer membrane protein intimin. Intimately attached bacteria rest upon a pedestal composed of host cytoskeletal proteins in an arrangement recognized as the attaching and effacing phenotype. The precise molecular interactions that lead to these dramatic alterations in the host cell cytoskeleton remain to be elucidated.

Interactions ofEscherichia colistrains of non-EPEC serogroups that carryeaeand lack the EAF andstxgene sequences with undifferentiated and differentiated intestinal human Caco-2 cells

FEMS Microbiology Letters, 2001

Escherichia coli strains of non-EPEC serotypes that carry eae and lack the EAF and the Shiga toxin (stx) gene sequences have been found in acute diarrhea. Both the cell association and the cell entry of these strains in human intestinal epithelial cells were studied as a function of cell differentiation and polarization. The eae+/EAF3/stx3 non-EPEC E. coli strains invaded undifferentiated Caco-2 cells more efficiently than differentiated cells. In contrast, prototype EPEC strain E2348/69 did not show significative differences from invasion rates of undifferentiated and differentiated cells. The uptake of these strains was greatly enhanced by pretreatment of differentiated Caco-2 cells with EGTA. These results suggest that the eae+/EAF3/stx3 non-EPEC E. coli invasion of intestinal cells may be dependent on receptors expressed on the surface of undifferentiated cells and the basolateral pole of differentiated cells. ß 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. on behalf of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies.

The ex vivo response of human intestinal mucosa to enteropathogenic Escherichia coli infection

Cellular Microbiology, 2009

In vitro organ culture (IVOC) represents a gold standard model to study enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) infection of human intestinal mucosa. However, the optimal examination of the bacterialhost cell interaction requires a directional epithelial exposure, without serosal or cut surface stimulation. A polarised IVOC system (pIVOC) was developed in order to overcome such limitations: apical EPEC infection produced negligible bacterial leakage via biopsy edges, resulted in enhanced colonisation compared to standard IVOC, and showed evidence of bacterial detachment, as in natural rabbit EPEC infections. Examination of mucosal innate immune responses in pIVOC showed both interleukin (IL)-8 mRNA and protein levels were significantly increased after apical EPEC infection. Increased IL-8 levels mainly depended on flagellin expression as fliC-negative EPEC did not elicit a significant IL-8 response despite increased mucosal colonisation compared to wild type EPEC. In addition, apical application of purified flagella significantly increased IL-8 protein levels over non-infected controls. Immunofluorescence staining of EPEC-infected small intestinal biopsies revealed apical and basolateral distribution of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 5 on epithelium suggesting that EPEC can trigger mucosal IL-8 responses by apical flagellin/TLR5 interaction ex vivo and does not require access to the basolateral membrane as postulated in cell culture models.

Enteropathogenic E. coli Exploitation of Host Epithelial Cells

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1996

Escherichiu coli is an extremely versatile pathogen. In addition to being a member of the normal intestinal flora, E. coli also causes bladder infections, meningitis, and diarrhea. Diarrheogenic E. coli contain at least five types of E. coli, which cause various symptoms ranging from cholera-like ones to extreme colitis.' Each type of diarrheogenic E. coli possesses a particular set of virulence factors, including specific adhesins, invasins, and/or toxins, which are responsible for causing a specific type of diarrhea. One of these groups, enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), is a predominant cause of infant diarrhea worldwide. In addition to isolated outbreaks in day-care centers and nurseries in developed countries, EPEC poses a major endemic health threat to young children ( < 6 months) in developing countries, where it has a high mortality rate.2 Worldwide, EPEC is the leading cause of bacteria-mediated diarrhea in children, and it is estimated to kill up to one million children each year. EPEC disease is characterized by watery diarrhea of varying severity, while vomiting and fever often accompany fluid loss.

Suppl 1: Distinct Interaction of Two Atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Strains with Enterocytes In Vitro

2011

Typical and atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) promote attaching-effacing lesions in intestinal cells but only typical EPEC carry the EPEC adherence factor plasmid. Atypical EPEC (aEPEC) are emerging agents of acute and persistent diarrhea worldwide. We aimed at comparing the ability of two aEPEC strains, 1711-4 (serotype O51:H40) and 3991-1 (serotype O non-typeable:non-motile) to invade, persist inside Caco-2 and T84 cells, and to induce IL-8 production. Typical EPEC strain E2348/69 was used for comparisons. The strains associated more significantly with T84 than with Caco-2 cells, with 3991-1 being the most adherent (P < 0.001). In contrast, aEPEC 1711-4 was significantly more invasive than the other strains in both cell lines, and was found within vacuoles near the basolateral cell surfaces. Strains persisted within both cell lines for at least 48 hours, but the persistence index was higher for 3991-1 in Caco-2 cells. IL-8 production was significantly higher from Caco-2 cells infected with 1711-4 for at least 48 hours (P < 0.001), and from T84 cells after 24 and 48 h than with the other strains (P = 0.001). We demonstrated that aEPEC are heterogeneous in various aspects of their interaction with enterocytes in vitro.

Expression of receptors for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli during enterocytic differentiation of human polarized intestinal epithelial cells in culture

Infection and immunity, 1992

To study the expression of human intestinal receptors for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), the human polarized intestinal epithelial cell line Caco-2 in culture and several subpopulations of HT-29 cells in culture--parental (mainly undifferentiated) HT-29 cells (HT-29 Std), an enterocytelike subpopulation obtained by selection through glucose deprivation (HT-29 Glc-), and an enterocytelike subpopulation obtained by selection through glucose deprivation which maintains its differentiation characteristics when switched back to standard glucose-containing medium (HT-29 Glc-/+)--were used. Since Caco-2 spontaneously differentiated in culture under standard culture conditions (in the presence of glucose) and HT-29 cells were undifferentiated when cultured under standard conditions (HT-29 Std) and differentiated when grown in a glucose-free medium (HT-29 Glc-), we studied the expression of the receptors for colonization factor antigens (CFA) I, II, and III and the 2230 antigen of ...

Bacterial-Epithelial Contact Is a Key Determinant of Host Innate Immune Responses to Enteropathogenic and Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli

PLoS ONE, 2011

Background: Enteropathogenic (EPEC) and Enteroaggregative (EAEC) E. coli have similar, but distinct clinical symptoms and modes of pathogenesis. Nevertheless when they infect the gastrointestinal tract, it is thought that their flagellin causes IL-8 release leading to neutrophil recruitment and gastroenteritis. However, this may not be the whole story as the effect of bacterial adherence to IEC innate response(s) remains unclear. Therefore, we have characterized which bacterial motifs contribute to the innate epithelial response to EPEC and EAEC, using a range of EPEC and EAEC isogenic mutant strains. Methodology: Caco-2 and HEp-2 cell lines were exposed to prototypical EPEC strain E2348/69 or EAEC strain O42, in addition to a range of isogenic mutant strains. E69 [LPS, non-motile, non-adherent, type three secretion system (TTSS) negative, signalling negative] or O42 [non-motile, non-adherent]. IL-8 and CCL20 protein secretion was measured. Bacterial surface structures were assessed by negative staining Transmission Electron Microscopy. The Fluorescent-actin staining test was carried out to determine bacterial adherence. Results: Previous studies have reported a balance between the host pro-inflammatory response and microbial suppression of this response. In our system an overall balance towards the host pro-inflammatory response is seen with the E69 WT and to a greater extent O42 WT, which is in fit with clinical symptoms. On removal of the external EPEC structures flagella, LPS, BFP, EspA and EspC; and EAEC flagella and AAF, the host inflammatory response is reduced. However, removal of E69 lymphostatin increases the host inflammatory response suggesting involvement in the bacterial mediated antiinflammatory response. Conclusion: Epithelial responses were due to combinations of bacterial agonists, with host-bacterial contact a key determinant of these innate responses. Host epithelial recognition was offset by the microbe's ability to down-regulate the inflammatory response. Understanding the complexity of this host-microbial balance will contribute to improved vaccine design for infectious gastroenteritis.

Intestinal cell migration damage induced by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains

Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 2018

Epithelial cell migration is an essential response to enteric pathogens such as enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC). This study aimed to investigate the effects of EPEC infection on intestinal epithelial cell migration in vitro, as well as the involvement of type III secretion system (T3SS) and Rho GTPases. Crypt intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6) were infected with EPEC strains (E2348/69, DescF, and the LDI001 strain isolated from a malnourished Brazilian child) and commensal E. coli HS. Wound migration and cell death assays were performed at different time-points. Transcription and expression of Rho GTPases were evaluated using real-time PCR and western blotting. Overall, EPEC E2348/69 reduced migration and increased apoptosis and necrosis levels compared to EPEC LDI001 and E. coli HS strains. Moreover, EPEC LDI001 impaired cell migration at a higher level than E. coli HS and increased necrosis after 24 hours compared to the control group. The different profiles of virulence genes between the two wild-type EPEC strains, characterized by the absence of espL and nleE genes in the LDI001, might explain the phenotypic results, playing significant roles on cell migration impairment and cell death-related events. Moreover, the type III secretion system is determinant for the inhibition of intestinal epithelial cell migration by EPEC 2348/69, as its deletion prevented the effect. Active Rac1 concentrations were increased in E2348/69 and LDI001-infected cells, while the T3SS-deficient strain did not demonstrate this activation. This study contributes with valuable insight to characterize the mechanisms involved in the impairment of intestinal cell migration induced by EPEC.