Fimbriation and curliation in Escherichia coli O157:H7: a paradigm of intestinal and environmental colonization

Gut Microbes. 2012 May-Jun;3(3):272-6. doi: 10.4161/gmic.20661. Epub 2012 May 1.

Abstract

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serotypes, particularly E. coli O157:H7, possess a variety of fimbrial and afimbrial adhesins which have emerged as important contributors to intestinal colonization. E. coli O157:H7 possesses two chromosomal operons encoding long polar fimbriae (Lpf), which have been found to influence adherence in vitro and colonization in vivo. In a recent Infection and Immunity paper, we further explored the role of Lpf in E. coli O157:H7 intestinal colonization by using the infant rabbit model of STEC infection. We found that an E. coli O157:H7 Lpf-deficient mutant was outcompeted in the rabbit intestine by its parental strain, which may suggest that Lpf contributes to colonization. In contrast, the Lpf-deficient mutant showed an increased adherence to cultured intestinal epithelial cells, and we discovered that this strain overexpressed curli fibers. In this addendum article, we provide a continued perspective on the predicted roles of Lpf and curli, both in vivo and in vitro.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adhesins, Bacterial / genetics
  • Adhesins, Bacterial / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Adhesion*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Environmental Microbiology*
  • Epithelial Cells / microbiology
  • Escherichia coli O157 / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli O157 / pathogenicity*
  • Escherichia coli O157 / physiology
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / metabolism*
  • Fimbriae Proteins / genetics
  • Fimbriae Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Intestines / microbiology*
  • Models, Biological
  • Rabbits
  • Virulence Factors / genetics
  • Virulence Factors / metabolism*

Substances

  • Adhesins, Bacterial
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Virulence Factors
  • Fimbriae Proteins
  • Crl protein, Bacteria