The Haemophilus influenzae Hia autotransporter harbours two adhesive pockets that reside in the passenger domain and recognize the same host cell receptor

Haemophilus influenzae is a human-specific pathogen and a major source of morbidity worldwide. Infection with this organism begins with colonization of the nasopharynx, a process that probably depends on adherence to respiratory epithelium. The Hia autotransporter protein is the major adhesin ex-pressed by a subset of non-typeable H. influenzae strains and promotes high-level adherence to a variety of human epithelial cell lines. In the current study, we discovered that the Hia passenger domain contains two distinct binding pockets, including one at the C-terminal end and a second at the N-terminal end. Competition assays revealed that the two binding pockets interact with the same host cell receptor structure, although with differing affinities. Additional experiments demonstrated that both binding domains are required for full-level bacterial adherence. These observations are reminiscent of eukaryotic cell adhesion molecules and highlight the first example of a bacterial adhesin with two domains that participate in a bivalent interaction with identical host cell receptors. Such an interaction increases avidity, thus stabilizing bacterial adherence to the epithelial surface, despite physical forces such as coughing, sneezing and mucociliary clearance.     

Inhibition of bacterial adherence to rat bladder epithelial cells by human immune serum globulin

The ability of commerical human immune serum globulin (HISG) to inhibit the adherence of urinary tract infection isolates to rat bladder epithelial cells was investigated utilizing an in vitro adherence system. Significant decreases in adherence were noted when strains ofEscherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, andEnterobacter cloacae were tested against five HISG preparations. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay indicated that all five HISG preparations also contained antibodies against type-1 pili isolated fromKlebsiella pneumoniae. The presence of antibodies directed against a bacterial adhesin and the effectiveness of HISG in inhibiting the attachment of a wide range of urinary pathogens to bladder cells suggest that HISG may have practical therapeutic values in the prophylaxis of diseases where bacterial adherence is a prerequisite for the initiation of infection.     

A mannose-specific adherence mechanism in Lactobacillus plantarum conferring binding to the human colonic cell line HT-29.

Two Lactobacillus plantarum strains of human intestinal origin, strains 299 (= DSM 6595) and 299v (= DSM 9843), have proved to be efficient colonizers of the human intestine under experimental conditions. These strains and 17 other L. plantarum strains were tested for the ability to adhere to cells of the human colonic cell line HT-29.L.plantarum 299 and 299v and nine other L. plantarum strains, including all six strains that belong to the same genetic subgroup as L. plantarum 299 and 299v, adhered to HT-29 cells in a manner that could be inhibited by methyl-alpha-D-mannoside. The ability to adhere to HT-29 cells correlated with an ability to agglutinate cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and erythrocytes in a mannose-sensitive manner and with adherence to D-mannose-coated agarose beads. L. plantarum 299 and 299v adhered to freshly isolated human colonic and ileal enterocytes, but the binding was not significantly inhibited by methyl-alpha-D-mannoside. Periodate treatment of HT-29 cells abolished mannose-sensitive adherence, confirming that the cell-bound receptor was of carbohydrate nature. Proteinase K treatment of the bacteria also abolished adherence, indicating that the binding involved protein structures on the bacterial cell surface. Thus, a mannose-specific adhesin has been identified in L. plantarum; this adhesin could be involved in the ability to colonize the intestine.     

The sialic acid binding SabA adhesin of Helicobacter pylori is essential for nonopsonic activation of human neutrophils

Infiltration of neutrophils and monocytes into the gastric mucosa is a hallmark of chronic gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori. Certain H. pylori strains nonopsonized stimulate neutrophils to production of reactive oxygen species causing oxidative damage of the gastric epithelium. Here, the contribution of some H. pylori virulence factors, the blood group antigen-binding adhesin BabA, the sialic acid-binding adhesin SabA, the neutrophil-activating protein HP-NAP, and the vacuolating cytotoxin VacA, to the activation of human neutrophils in terms of adherence, phagocytosis, and oxidative burst was investigated. Neutrophils were challenged with wild type bacteria and isogenic mutants lacking BabA, SabA, HP-NAP, or VacA. Mutant and wild type strains lacking SabA had no neutrophil-activating capacity, demonstrating that binding of H. pylori to sialylated neutrophil receptors plays a pivotal initial role in the adherence and phagocytosis of the bacteria and the induction of the oxidative burst. The link between receptor binding and oxidative burst involves a G-protein-linked signaling pathway and downstream activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase as shown by experiments using signal transduction inhibitors. Collectively our data suggest that the sialic acid-binding SabA adhesin is a prerequisite for the nonopsonic activation of human neutrophils and, thus, is a virulence factor important for the pathogenesis of H. pylori infection.     

Adhesion of canine and human uropathogenicEscherichia coli andProteus mirabilis strains to canine and human epithelial cells

Escherichia coli strains causing urinary tract infections in dogs produce fimbriae composed of fimbrial subunits closely related to the F12 and F13 fimbriae of human uropathogenic strains [4]. The adhesins carried by the fimbriae of human and canine isolates differ, however, as concluded from a different hemagglutination pattern and from the fact that the dog strains do not agglutinate latex beads coated with P-fimbriae receptor. This possible difference in adhesive specificity was confirmed by experiments in which the adhesion of human and dog isolates to dog kidney epithelial cells (MDCK cells) and human bladder epithelial cells (T24 cells) was compared. Dog uropathogenic strains, in contrast to human uropathogenicE. coli strains, adhere to MDCK cells but hardly to T24 cells. Adhesion to MDCK cells correlates with the presence of F12 or F13 fimbriae on the dog strains. These results suggest that homologous fimbrial subunits can carry different adhesin molecules and that these adhesin molecules can be responsible for species-specific adherence. On the contrary, adhesion of a number of dog uropathogenicProteus mirabilis strains to MDCK and T24 cells was not species specific; it depended on the mere presence of fimbriae.     

Characterization of adhesin variants in Indian isolates of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) are causative agents of diarrhea, being characterized by aggregative adherence to cultured epithelial cells. In this study, phenotypic properties of EAEC were analyzed with respect to AA, hemagglutination, clump and biofilm formation, all of which are mediated by aggregative adherence fimbriae (AAF). The strains were also screened for AAF types, AAF adhesin variants and Dr adhesin by PCR. Of the three known AAF types, AAF/I and AAF/II adhesin variants were identified. An association between the AAF/adhesin genotypes and the subtypes/scores of phenotypic properties was sought and it was observed that strains harboring same adhesins displayed different subtypes/scores and vice versa.     

The amino-terminal domain of the P-pilus adhesin determines receptor specificity

Pyelonephritic isolates of Escherichia coli commonly express P-pili, which mediate bacterial attachment to glycolipids on epithelial cell surfaces. Three classes of P-pili have been defined, based on varying specificity for galabiose-containing glycolipids. Variation in adhesive capacity is correlated with a shift in preferred host, suggesting that host tropism depends largely on detailed specificity for the globoseries glycolipids. In this study we examined the importance of the PapG adhesin in determining receptor specificity. Translational fusions were constructed between the ammo-terminus of the PapG adhesin from each of the three pilus classes and a reporter protein. The binding specificity of the purified fusion proteins in vitro was identical to that seen with whole bacteria. Adherence of intact bacteria to cultured kidney cells was markedly reduced by a monoclonal antibody specific for the Class III adhesin (previously denoted PrsG), confirming the importance of the ammo-terminus of PapG in mediating attachment to a receptor when presented on the eukaryotic cell surface. These results suggest that the detailed receptor specificity resides solely within the amino-terminus of the PapG adhesin and is independent of the complex pilus architecture.     

Type 1 pilus-mediated bacterial invasion of bladder epithelial cells

Most strains of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) encode filamentous adhesive organelles called type 1 pili. We have determined that the type 1 pilus adhesin, FimH, mediates not only bacterial adherence, but also invasion of human bladder epithelial cells. In contrast, adherence mediated by another pilus adhesin, PapG, did not initiate bacterial internalization. FimH-mediated invasion required localized host actin reorganization, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activation and host protein tyrosine phosphorylation, but not activation of Src-family tyrosine kinases. Phosphorylation of focal adhesin kinase (FAK) at Tyr397 and the formation of complexes between FAK and PI 3-kinase and between alpha-actinin and vinculin were found to correlate with type 1 pilus-mediated bacterial invasion. Inhibitors that prevented bacterial invasion also blocked the formation of these complexes. Our results demonstrate that UPEC strains are not strictly extracellular pathogens and that the type 1 pilus adhesin FimH can directly trigger host cell signaling cascades that lead to bacterial internalization.     

Comparison of frequency and susceptibility to antimicrobials of bacterial strains of the family Enterobacteriaceae isolated from patients hospitalised in intensive care units

The aim of the study was estimation of frequency and susceptibility to antimicrobial agents of gram-negative rods isolated from clinical specimens obtained from patients requiring intensive care, with emphasis on profile of the unit. The analysis comprised strains of gram-negative rods isolated from patients of two intensive care units (ICUs) of a tertiary care hospital (1200 beds). Identification of cultured isolates was done using automated VITEK and API systems (bioMerieux, France). Susceptibility to antimicrobial agents was tested by a disk-diffusion method according to the NCCLS recommendations. In total the analysis comprised 722 strains of gram-negative rods. In blood cultures predominated strains of Enterobacter spp. (42.5%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (37.5%). In cultures of clinical specimens other than blood 41.6% comprised strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 14.8% Escherichia coli and 14.4% Proteus mirabilis. Frequency of multi-drug resistant strains of bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae was much higher among blood isolates in comparison to strains cultured from other clinical specimens. There was a relatively high percentage of strains of Enterobacteriaceae susceptible to piperacillin and tazobactam (69.0%) and ceftazidime (54.6%). Conclusions: 1. All strains were susceptible to carbapenems. 2. There was a relatively high percentage of strains of gram-negative rods susceptible to piperacillin/tazobactam and ceftazidime. 3. Bacteria isolated from blood cultures were characterised by a much higher percentage of resistant strains in comparison to other specimens. 4. Longer stay in ICU promoted selection of strains resistant to antimicrobials.     

Detection of fibronectin-binding protein genes in staphylococcal strains from peri-prosthesis infections.

Several studies have been devoted to identify the adhesion mechanisms of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, which are the most frequent causes of prosthesis-associated infections. Recently, in particular for Staphylococcus aureus, considerable attention has been given to the host protein receptors as mediators for bacterial adherence. Fibronectin, in important matrix protein, seems to be a major ligand for bacterial adherence in the early stages of infection. To determine the importance of the fibronectin adhesin as virulence factor in Staphylococcus-induced prosthesis infection, a simple and reliable method using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was devised to identify fibronectin adhesin genes (fnbA and fnbB). Results obtained by this method were in accordance with those obtained by the in vitro phenotypic characterization of binding ability to fibronectin of Staphylococcus strains.     

双歧杆菌粘附素受体的初步观察

本文研究了Ｌｏｖｏ细胞上双歧杆菌粘附素的受体。结果表明,过碘酸钠成或蛋白酶处理Ｌｏｖｏ细胞后,双歧杆菌对Ｌｏｖｏ细胞的粘附力明显降低,呈剂量效应。Ｄ一甘露糖能抑制两者的粘附;葡萄糖,乳糖,山梨糖,蔗糖及Ｄ一果糖不能抑制粘附。提示双歧杆菌粘附素受体是一种糖蛋白,可能与甘露糖有关。     

Adhesive properties and antibiotic resistance of Klebsiella strains isolated from gastrointestinal tracts of children hospitalised in Wroclaw nad Opole

Gram negative Klebsiella bacilli present many pathogenic properties, which determine their ability to survive and rapid spreading in hospital environment. There are many factors responsible for the pathogenicity of Klebsiella strains: capsule, fimbriae, nonfimbrial adhesins, lipopolysaccharide of the cell wall and extracellular secreted exotoxins. Klebsiella strains are etiological agents of different nosocomial infections but also colonized gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. The aim of our work were adhesive properties and antibiotic resistance of Klebsiella strains isolated from stool of hospitalized children, according to source of potential nosocomial infections--100 Klebsiella strains from Wroclaw and 76 strains from Opole, isolated in cases of diarrhea. The resistance of this strains to different group of antibiotics, the expression of ESBL enzymes, the activity in hemagglutination and their ability to adherence to different cell lines were tested. The highest resistance of all strains to aminopenicillins was observed. The production of ESBL was highest in strains from Opole (51% strains) then in Wroclaw (9%). In both hospital units, ESBL+ strains were resistant to aminoglicosides and cotrimoxazol but sensitive to ciprofloxacine. Using hemagglutination method the types of fimbriae were defined. Above 90% investigated Klebsiella strains showed the presence of fimbriae (in Wroc?aw more strains simultaneously expressed fimbriae type 1 and 3, in Opole mainly fimbriae type 3). Over 70% strains demonstrated the high level of adherence to cell lines. Only several strains showed the low level or the lack of adhesion. These results suggested that among Klebsiella strains in gastrointestinal tract were presented multiresistant strains with high ability to adherence, which may be potential source of nosocomial infections.     

LamB-mediated adherence of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli to HEp-2 cells

Aims:  To establish the role of maltoporin (LamB) in adherence of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) to epithelial cells in vitro.
Methods and Results:  Three strains, wild type (WT) EPEC, a maltoporin (LamB) mutant ΔlamB , and DH5α were used to study adherence to cultured HEp-2 cells. Mutant ΔlamB was found to be deficient in adherence compared to WT EPEC. Adherence of ΔlamB was restored to wild type levels when complemented with the cloned lamB gene. The non–adherent strain DH5α also adhered to HEp-2 cells when it harboured the cloned lamB gene. The LamB protein was isolated from WT EPEC by electroelution and antibodies were raised in rabbits. The specificity of the antibodies was analysed by Western blotting. Anti-LamB antiserum reduced adherence of WT EPEC to HEp-2 cells. The LamB protein was coated on latex beads and the beads adhered to HEp-2 cells. Anti-LamB antiserum prevented bead adherence to HEp-2 cells. Multiple sequence alignment showed that the L9 loop of EPEC LamB had four amino acids different from the L9 loop of LamB from several other related pathogens.
Conclusions:  LamB serves as an alternative or additional adherence factor for EPEC.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  Adherence is an important component of the pathogenesis of noninvasive pathogens like EPEC. A putative adhesin such as LamB, which has already been found to be co-expressed with virulence factor EspB may be a potential vaccine candidate for control of EPEC and related pathogens.     

Adherence and receptor relationships of Candida albicans.

The cell surface of Candida albicans is composed of a variety of polysaccharides such as glucan, chitin, and mannan. The first two components primarily provide structure, while the mannan, often covalently linked to protein, constitutes the major antigen of the organism. Mannoproteins also have enzymatic activity (acid protease) and ligand-receptor functions. The complement receptors of C. albicans appear to be mannoproteins that are required for the adherence of the organism to endothelial cells. This is certainly true of the CR3-like protein of C. albicans. Proof that the CR3 is the Candida receptor for endothelial cells is derived from two observations. First, mutants lacking CR3 activity are less adherent in vitro and, in fact, less virulent. Second, the ligand recognized by the CR3 receptor (C3bi) as well as anti-CR3 antibodies blocks adherence of the organism to endothelial cells. The CR2 of C. albicans appears to promote the adherence of the organism to plastic substrates. Unlike the CR2 of mammalian cells, the Candida CR2 recognizes ligands containing the RGD sequence of amino acids in addition to the C3d ligand, which does not contain the RGD sequence. There is uncertainty as to whether the Candida CR2 and CR3 are, in fact, different proteins. A mannoprotein has also been described as the adhesin for epithelial cells. In this case, the receptor has a lectinlike activity and recognizes fucose- or glucosamine-containing glycoproteins of epithelial cells, depending on the strain of C. albicans. The oligosaccharide component of the receptor is probably not involved in ligand recognition and may serve to stabilize the receptor. However, the oligosaccharide factor 6 epitope of mannan may also provide adhesin activity in the recognition of epithelial cells. Mannoproteins can be extracted from cells by a number of reagents. Zymolyase, for instance, tends to remove structural mannoproteins, which contain relatively little protein and are linked to glucan. Reagents such as dithiothreitol, on the other hand, tend to extract mannoproteins containing higher amounts of protein that appear to have receptor function. The mannoproteins of C. albicans are dynamically expressed and may be growth phase and growth form specific.     

Purification and partial characterization of the Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae Ca2+-dependent adhesin, which mediates the first step in attachment of cells of the family Rhizobiaceae to plant root hair tips.

The Ca2+-dependent adhesin which mediates the first step in attachment of bacteria of the family Rhizobiaceae to plant root hair tips was isolated from the surface of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae cells; its ability to inhibit attachment of R. leguminosarum to pea root hair tips was used as a bioassay. Isolated adhesin was found to be able to inhibit attachment of both carbon-limited and manganese-limited R. leguminosarum cells. A multicolumn purification procedure was developed which resulted in pure adhesin, as judged from silver staining of isoelectric focusing and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electropherograms. The crucial step in purification was the elution of rhizobial proteins by a CaCl2 gradient from a hydroxyapatite matrix. The specific activity increased 1,250 times during purification. The isoelectric point of the adhesin was determined to be 5.1, and the molecular mass was 14 kilodaltons (kDa), as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. By using gel filtration in the presence and absence of Ca2+, the molecular mass of the adhesin was determined to be 15 and 6 kDa, respectively. The adhesin appeared to be a calcium-binding protein. The purified adhesin inhibited attachment of various other rhizobia to pea root hair tips. Also, cell surface preparations of several other rhizobial strains, including Agrobacterium, Bradyrhizobium, and Phyllobacterium spp., showed adhesin activity, suggesting that a common plant receptor is used for attachment of Rhizobiaceae cells and that the adhesin is common among Rhizobiaceae. No attachment-inhibiting activity was detected in cell surface preparations from various other bacterial strains tested. Cell surface preparations from Sym or Ti plasmid-cured Rhizobium and Agrobacterium strains, respectively, also showed adhesin activity, indicating that Sym or Ti plasmid-borne genes are not required for the synthesis and biogenesis of the adhesin. The adhesin was also found to be involved in the attachment of rhizobia to the root hairs of various other legumes and nonlegume plants, including monocotyledonous ones. Since the adhesin appears to be specific for Rhizobiaceae and is Ca2+ dependent, we propose to designate it rhicadhesin. A more detailed model for rhizobial attachment to plant root hairs is discussed.     

肺炎克雷伯菌菌毛粘附素克隆表达及其对体外培养细胞的粘附活性

摘要：【目的】肺炎克雷伯菌(K.pn)与宿主细胞的粘附是致病的首要条件,粘附过程主要通过菌毛粘附素MrkD蛋白介导。为了进一步分析MrkD蛋白与宿主细胞间的粘附机制,进一步确定MrkD蛋白的粘附阻断作用。【方法】构建肺炎克雷伯菌菌毛粘附素融合蛋白原核表达质粒pGEX-4T-mrkD,转入大肠杆菌BL21,优化诱导表达条件,表达产物经亲和层析纯化、凝血酶切除融合蛋白GST标签后,进行SDS-PAGE和Western blot鉴定。激光共聚焦显微镜定位MrkD蛋白在宿主细胞上的结合部位;通过粘附活性试验与粘附动力学实验研究了MrkD蛋白的生物活性。【结果】实验得到了分子量为35 kDa的MrkD蛋白,定位了MrkD蛋白在宿主细胞上的结合部位,并证明了MrkD蛋白可以显著影响肺炎克雷伯菌对宿主细胞的粘附力。【结论】本试验首次证实了MrkD蛋白的粘附阻断作用并观察到了其与宿主细胞的作用位点,为研究肺炎克雷伯菌的致病机制,寻找粘附素功能表位奠定了基础。     

The influence of the O-antigen and the capsular polysaccharide on the establishment of PlCmts lysogeny in Klebsiella pneumoniae

The O-antigen of the lipopolysaccharide in Klebsiella pneumoniae caused a significant reduction in the frequency of establishment of PlCmts lysogeny, while the capsular polysaccharide showed no effect on this frequency. The bacterial receptor for PlCmts are the lipopolysaccharide-core oligosaccharides, the results suggest that K. pneumoniae strains with an O-antigen in their lipopolysaccharide have a poorly accessible lipopolysaccharide-core (the PlCmts bacterial receptor), while K. pneumoniae strains lacking the O-antigen have a highly accessible lipopolysaccharide-core. The accessibility of the receptor is independent of the K antigen (capsular polysaccharide).     

Distribution of virulence profiles related to new toxins and putative adhesins in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolated from diverse sources in Brazil

The distribution of virulence markers related to cytolethal distending toxin-V (CDT-V), subtilase cytotoxin (SubAB), the enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli factor for adherence (Efa1), the adhesin similar to IrgA (Iha), the long polar fimbriae (LpfO113), the autoagglutinating adhesin (Saa), and the protein required for full expression of adherence of O157:H7 Sakai strain (ToxB) was investigated in 121 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) strains isolated in Brazil. STEC strains were isolated from human infections (n=49), cattle (n=68) and ground meat samples (n=4). Overall, the lpfA(O113), iha, efa1, saa, and toxB sequences were observed in 89.2%, 87.6%, 47.1%, 43%, and 13.2% of the strains, respectively. The genes efa1 (96.6%) and toxB (27%) were only identified among eae-positive strains, while saa (83.8%), cdt-V (12.9%), and subAB (48.4%) just occurred in eae-negative STEC strains. STEC strains harboring cdt-V and subAB were for the first time described in the South American subcontinent. In addition, the simultaneous presence of cdt-V and subAB has not been previously reported, nor the presence of subAB in STEC O77, O79, O105, O174, and O178 serogroups. A diversity of virulence profiles was observed among the STEC strains studied. The most prevalent profile observed among eae-positive STEC strains mainly isolated from humans was eae efa1 iha lpfA(O113), whereas iha lpfA(O113) saa ehxA subAB prevailed among eae-negative STEC strains, mostly isolated from cattle and foods.     

The Haemophilus Cryptic Genospecies Cha Adhesin Has at Least Two Variants That Differ in Host Cell Binding,Bacterial Aggregation,and Biofilm Formation Properties

The Haemophilus cryptic genospecies (HCG) causes genital tract infections in pregnant and postpartum women and respiratory infections in neonates. The major surface adhesin in HCG is called Cha, which mediates bacterial adherence to cultured human epithelial cells. In this study, we report that there are two antigenically distinct variants of Cha, dubbed Cha1 and Cha2. These variants are encoded by the same genetic locus in diverse strains and have nearly identical N-terminal export and C-terminal surface anchoring domains but significantly different internal adhesive domains. Based on the comparison of derivatives of a laboratory strain of Haemophilus influenzae expressing either surface-associated Cha1 or surface-associated Cha2, Cha1 mediates a higher level of adherence to cultured human epithelial cells and Cha2 mediates a higher level of adherence to abiotic surfaces. We hypothesize that variation in the Cha1 and Cha2 internal region results in changes in binding specificity or binding affinity and may be associated with adaptation to different host environments during colonization and disease.