Roles of the Tol-Pal system in the Type III secretion system and flagella-mediated virulence in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

Sci Rep. 2020 Sep 23;10(1):15173. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-72412-w.

Abstract

The Tol-Pal system is a protein complex that is highly conserved in many gram-negative bacteria. We show here that the Tol-Pal system is associated with the enteric pathogenesis of enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). Deletion of tolB, which is required for the Tol-Pal system decreased motility, secretion of the Type III secretion system proteins EspA/B, and the ability of bacteria to adhere to and to form attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions in host cells, but the expression level of LEE genes, including espA/B that encode Type III secretion system proteins were not affected. The Citrobacter rodentium, tolB mutant, that is traditionally used to estimate Type III secretion system associated virulence in mice did not cause lethality in mice while it induced anti-bacterial immunity. We also found that the pal mutant, which lacks activity of the Tol-Pal system, exhibited lower motility and EspA/B secretion than the wild-type parent. These combined results indicate that the Tol-Pal system contributes to the virulence of EHEC associated with the Type III secretion system and flagellar activity for infection at enteric sites. This finding provides evidence that the Tol-Pal system may be an effective target for the treatment of infectious diseases caused by pathogenic E. coli.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Adhesion / genetics
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Citrobacter rodentium / genetics
  • Citrobacter rodentium / pathogenicity
  • Enterobacteriaceae Infections / microbiology
  • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli / pathogenicity*
  • Epithelial Cells / microbiology
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / metabolism
  • Female
  • Flagella / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Lipoproteins / genetics*
  • Lipoproteins / metabolism
  • Mice, Inbred C3H
  • Mutation
  • Peptidoglycan / genetics*
  • Peptidoglycan / metabolism
  • Periplasmic Proteins / genetics*
  • Periplasmic Proteins / metabolism
  • Shiga Toxin / genetics
  • Shiga Toxin / metabolism
  • Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / pathogenicity
  • Type III Secretion Systems / genetics
  • Type III Secretion Systems / metabolism*
  • Virulence

Substances

  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • EaeB protein, E coli
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • EspA protein, E coli
  • ExcC protein, E coli
  • Lipoproteins
  • Peptidoglycan
  • Periplasmic Proteins
  • Type III Secretion Systems
  • tolB protein, E coli
  • Shiga Toxin