动物源产肠毒素大肠杆菌(ETEC)黏附素研究进展

动物源产肠毒素大肠杆菌(enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli,ETEC)是引起动物(尤其是幼龄动物)腹泻的主要病原菌。已知黏附素和肠毒素是ETEC中两种重要的毒力因子,在致病性中两者缺一不可。其中黏附素结合到宿主易感肠上皮细胞是ETEC感染的第一步,也是最重要的关键步骤。动物源ETEC的菌毛黏附素主要包括K88、K99、987P、F18、F17和F41等。人们从20世纪60年代就开始了ETEC菌毛黏附素的相关研究,包括菌毛的基因、结构组成、生物合成、菌毛表达的调控机制以及黏附素和宿主受体相互作用等,这些研究基础有助于我们深入了解ETEC病原菌的感染机理;并且在疾病诊断和新疫苗的开发中具有重大意义。     

人源产肠毒素大肠杆菌疫苗的研发进展

腹泻是全球范围内引起5岁以下幼童死亡的第二大病因,而产肠毒素大肠杆菌(ETEC)是引起腹泻的最常见病原菌,其产生的细菌定植因子(CFs)和肠毒素是关键的毒力因子。CFs介导细菌黏附宿主小肠上皮细胞并完成定植,产生热敏肠毒素(LT)和热稳定肠毒素(ST)破坏宿主上皮细胞内的体液平衡,使体液和电介质过量分泌从而导致腹泻。预防ETEC腹泻的首选方法是使用能激发宿主产生抗黏附素免疫力和抗肠毒素免疫力的疫苗,阻断ETEC黏附和定植并中和肠毒素。目前一种名为Dukoral~的霍乱疫苗因能刺激机体产生抗热敏毒素免疫,已经被一些国家批准用于短期保护和预防旅行者腹泻。新型试验性ETEC候选疫苗正在研发中,旨在提供保护期长、反应谱广的抗ETEC感染免疫保护力。本文针对疫苗研发的关键问题和研究现状作一综述,并对未来的研究作出展望。     

新腹泻原性大肠杆菌的致病机理

<正> 以往的研究将肠道病原性大肠杆菌分成三类。一类是主要引起婴幼儿流行性腹泻的致病性大肠杆菌(BPEC);另一类是引起旅游者腹泻和发展中国家婴幼儿腹泻的产毒性大肠杆菌(ETEC);再一类是导致痢疾等疾病的侵袭性大肠杆菌(EIEC)。关于ETEC和EIEC的致病机理研究的比较清楚,ETEC中要产生LT和ST肠毒素,EIEC象志贺氏菌一样能侵入肠上皮细胞并繁殖。EPEC的致病性可能与某种粘附因子和细胞毒素产生有关。近来人们又提出两类新的腹泻性大肠杆菌,即肠出血性大肠杆菌(En-     

应用斑点ELISA检测产肠毒素性大肠杆菌定居因子抗原

产肠毒素性大肠杆菌(ETEC)在发展中国家是引起婴幼儿和旅游者腹泻的最主要病原菌。据WHO预测,全世界每年因ETEC引起腹泻而致死的5岁以下婴幼儿多达80万。该菌的致病机制是,它能粘附并定居到宿主小肠表皮细胞,繁殖产生耐热肠毒素或不耐热肠毒素,前者主要由定居因子抗原(CFA)负责,     

产肠毒素大肠杆菌Ⅳ型菌毛尖端黏附素单克隆抗体的交叉反应性、表位定位和效价

正产肠毒素大肠杆菌(ETEC)是资源受限地区的旅行者和儿童腹泻的主要致病菌。ETEC致病的关键一步是ETEC菌毛介导细菌黏附到宿主肠细胞。这些菌毛根据序列相似性进行分类,其中Ⅳ型菌毛家族成员最具有特征性。ETEC的Ⅳ型菌毛家族有八个相关成员,可分为三个亚类(5a,5b和5c),它们具有相似的结构排列,都有1个菌毛尖端黏附素。     

致肾盂肾炎大肠杆菌的毒力因子和调控

致肾盂肾炎大肠杆菌引起人的尿路感染,它的毒力因子包括表面毒力因子和分泌毒力因子两大类。表面毒力因子包括菌毛、鞭毛、黏附素和多糖类物质,主要在细菌的侵染过程中起作用。分泌毒力因子主要是溶血素、细胞毒性坏死因子等毒素蛋白,主要对宿主细胞产生毒力作用。本文简要综述致肾盂肾炎大肠杆菌毒力因子分泌所需要的5种分泌机制,并论及毒力因子的宏观调控和影响毒力调控的因素。     

产肠毒素型大肠杆菌F41黏附素是染色体编码并与K88在遗传学上相关

<正> 产肠毒素型大肠杆菌(ETEC)寄居人类及动物宿主的小肠,产生肠毒素导致液体与电解质的分泌。是通过一种命名为黏附素(adhesin)的繖状结构的细菌蛋白介导寄居于小肠。人与动物ETBC黏附素有几种不同的抗原型。表达这些黏附素的菌体细胞有凝集各种动物红细胞的能力。并与黏附素抗原型有关。黏附素对确定菌株致病性起一定作用。黏附素表达的遗传学基础是与这些抗原型相关的质粒。 最近已确定F41是对牛及猪有致病性的ETEC黏附素。θ9及0101血清型ETEC菌株的另一种黏附素K99的产生与其有关,但最近提及的某些菌株不产K99也产F41。F41在甘露糖存在的条件下可介导凝集人红细     

产肠毒素原性E.coli菌苗的研究进展

<正> 产肠毒素原性大肠杆菌(ETEC)是当前世界上的一个重要病原,虽然确切的调查资料尚难以得到,但据近来的研究估计,全世界每年大约有4亿腹泻病例,五岁以下儿童因之死亡的有70万。ETEC也是旅游者腹泻的一个重要病因。由于人们对这种病原的认识相当晚,因而近十年来才注意其菌苗的研制。 关于ETEC腹泻的致病机理常有评述,但简要说来,ETEC引起腹泻需要有两类毒力因子,即定居因子和肠毒素。病原体必须首先粘附到小肠的近测,这一过程是由称为定居因子抗原(CFA)的纤毛蛋白粘附素(adhesins)介导的。已经识别出许多这样的因子如CFA/I,CS1,CS2,CS3,CS4,CS5,CS6以及PCFO159:H4。早期的报     

肠出血性大肠杆菌O157:H7紧密黏附素与受体的研究进展

肠出血性大肠杆菌O157∶H7能引起出血性结肠炎、溶血性尿毒综合征、血小板减少性紫癜等。大肠杆菌O157∶H7的主要毒力因子紧密黏附素由其毒力岛LEE岛上的eae基因编码,C末端的280个氨基酸是受体结合位点。目前发现紧密黏附素受体有紧密黏附素转位受体(Tir)、核仁素和β1整合素。紧密黏附素主要与受体Tir结合,通过Ⅲ型分泌系统转位到宿主细胞,在Tir-细胞骨架偶联蛋白(Tccp)的参与下,与N-Wiskott aldrich综合征蛋白、肌动蛋白-相关蛋白2/3相互作用产生信号级联放大,导致宿主大肠黏膜上产生黏附-抹去损伤。     

大肠杆菌Ⅲ型分泌系统2毒力岛研究进展

许多革兰氏阴性菌借助Ⅲ型分泌系统黏附在宿主细胞表面,然后跨越胞膜将特异性蛋白注入宿主细胞内,破坏宿主细胞内的多种信号通路,从而有利于细菌的感染及定殖。在肠致病性大肠杆菌(Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli,EPEC)中,除了肠细胞脱落位点(Locus of entericyte effacement,LEE)毒力岛编码的Ⅲ型分泌系统(Type Ⅲ secretion system,T3SS)外,在分析肠出血性大肠杆菌O157:H7的基因组序列时发现一个新的Ⅲ型分泌系统,大肠杆菌Ⅲ型分泌系统2(Escherichia coli type Ⅲ secretion system 2,ETT2)毒力岛。研究显示,ETT2可能在大多数菌株中不具有完整的分泌系统功能,但是其对于细菌毒力的发挥具有重要作用。因此,本文简要综述了大肠杆菌ETT2的基因特征、ETT2的分布与流行、ETT2的功能与机制等方面的主要研究进展。     

Toxicity and Immunogenicity of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Heat-Labile and Heat-Stable Toxoid Fusion 3xSTaA14Q-LTS63K/R192G/L211A in a Murine Model

Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death to young children. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are the most common bacteria causing diarrhea. Adhesins and enterotoxins are the virulence determinants in ETEC diarrhea. Adhesins mediate bacterial attachment and colonization, and enterotoxins including heat-labile (LT) and heat-stable type Ib toxin (STa) disrupt fluid homeostasis in host cells that leads to fluid hyper-secretion and diarrhea. Thus, adhesins and enterotoxins have been primarily targeted in ETEC vaccine development. A recent study reported toxoid fusions with STa toxoid (STa_P13F) fused at the N- or C-terminus, or inside the A subunit of LT_R192G elicited neutralizing antitoxin antibodies, and suggested application of toxoid fusions in ETEC vaccine development (Liu et al., Infect. Immun. 79:4002-4009, 2011). In this study, we generated a different STa toxoid (STa_A14Q) and a triple-mutant LT toxoid (LT_{S63K/R192G/L211A}, tmLT), constructed a toxoid fusion (3xSTa_A14Q-tmLT) that carried 3 copies of STa_A14Q for further facilitation of anti-STa immunogenicity, and assessed antigen safety and immunogenicity in a murine model to explore its potential for ETEC vaccine development. Mice immunized with this fusion antigen showed no adverse effects, and developed antitoxin antibodies particularly through the IP route. Anti-LT antibodies were detected and were shown neutralizing against CT in vitro. Anti-STa antibodies were also detected in the immunized mice, and serum from the IP immunized mice neutralized STa toxin in vitro. Data from this study indicated that toxoid fusion 3xSTa_A14Q-tmLT is safe and can induce neutralizing antitoxin antibodies, and provided helpful information for vaccine development against ETEC diarrhea.     

链球菌突破血脑屏障的作用机制研究进展

血脑屏障(blood-brain barrier,BBB)是中枢神经系统(central nervous system,CNS)的天然结构和功能屏障之一,可有效阻止病原菌的入侵。然而病原菌能通过其自身毒力因子与脑内皮细胞相互作用,诱导宿主免疫应答反应,分泌大量细胞因子、趋化因子等,破坏紧密连接蛋白,最终突破血脑屏障,引起细菌性脑膜炎,产生不可逆的神经系统损伤。链球菌(Streptococcus)作为引起细菌性脑膜炎的重要病原菌,关于其突破血脑屏障分子机制研究已有显著进展。本文针对主要的链球菌,包括肺炎链球菌(Streptococcus pneumoniae)、猪链球菌(Streptococcus suis)、B型链球菌(group B Streptococcus,GBS)、马链球菌等突破血脑屏障的作用机制研究进展进行综述。     

Transcriptional regulation of subclass 5b fimbriae

Background  

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major cause of infant and child mortality in developing countries. This enteric pathogen causes profuse watery diarrhea by elaborating one or more enterotoxins that intoxicate eukaryotic cells and ultimately leads to a loss of water to the intestinal lumen. Virulence is also dependent upon fimbrial adhesins that facilitate colonization of the small intestine.     

A Selected Lactobacillus rhamnosus Strain Promotes EGFR-Independent Akt Activation in an Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88-Infected IPEC-J2 Cell Model

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are important intestinal pathogens that cause diarrhea in humans and animals. Although probiotic bacteria may protect against ETEC-induced enteric infections, the underlying mechanisms are unknown. In this study, porcine intestinal epithelial J2 cells (IPEC-J2) were pre-incubated with and without Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 and then exposed to F4⁺ ETEC. Increases in TLR4 and NOD2 mRNA expression were observed at 3 h after F4⁺ ETEC challenge, but these increases were attenuated by L. rhamnosus treatment. Expression of TLR2 and NOD1 mRNA was up-regulated in cells pre-treated with L. rhamnosus. Pre-treatment with L. rhamnosus counteracted F4⁺ ETEC-induced increases in TNF-α concentration. Increased PGE₂. concentrations were observed in cells infected with F4⁺ ETEC and in cells treated with L. rhamnosus only. A decrease in phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was observed at 3 h after F4⁺ ETEC challenge in cells treated with L. rhamnosus. Pre-treatment with L. rhamnosus enhanced Akt phosphorylation and increased ZO-1 and occludin protein expression. Our findings suggest that L. rhamnosus protects intestinal epithelial cells from F4⁺ ETEC-induced damage, partly through the anti-inflammatory response involving synergism between TLR2 and NOD1. In addition, L. rhamnosus promotes EGFR-independent Akt activation, which may activate intestinal epithelial cells in response to bacterial infection, in turn increasing tight junction integrity and thus enhancing the barrier function and restricting pathogen invasion. Pre-incubation with L. rhamnosus was superior to co-incubation in reducing the adhesion of F4⁺ ETEC to IPEC-J2 cells and subsequently attenuating F4⁺ ETEC-induced mucin layer destruction and suppressing apoptosis. Our data indicate that a selected L. rhamnosus strain interacts with porcine intestinal epithelial cells to maintain the epithelial barrier and promote intestinal epithelial cell activation in response to bacterial infection, thus protecting cells from the deleterious effects of F4⁺ ETEC.     

Molecular mechanisms of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are a major cause of diarrheal illness in developing countries, and perennially the most common cause of traveller's diarrhea. ETEC constitute a diverse pathotype that elaborate heat-labile and/or heat-stable enterotoxins. Recent molecular pathogenesis studies reveal sophisticated pathogen–host interactions that might be exploited in efforts to prevent these important infections. While vaccine development for these important pathogens remains a formidable challenge, extensive efforts that attempt to exploit new genomic and proteomic technology platforms in discovery of novel targets are presently ongoing.     

Heat-labile enterotoxin-induced activation of NF-κB and MAPK pathways in intestinal epithelial cells impacts enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) adherence

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) causes human morbidity and mortality in developing nations and is an emerging threat to food safety in developed nations. The ETEC heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) not only causes diarrheal disease by deregulating host adenylate cyclase, but also enhances ETEC adherence to intestinal epithelial cells. The mechanism governing this LT pro-adherence phenotype is unclear. Here we investigated intestinal epithelial cell signal transduction pathways activated by ETEC and quantified the relative importance of these host pathways to LT-induced ETEC adherence. We show that ETEC activates both NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathways through mechanisms that are primarily dependent upon LT. LT-induced NF-κB activation depends upon the cAMP-dependent activation of the Ras-like GTPase Rap1 but is independent of protein kinase A (PKA). By using inhibitors of these pathways, we demonstrate that inhibiting the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase prevents LT from increasing ETEC adherence. By contrast, the LT pro-adherence phenotype appears unrelated to both LT-induced Rap1 activity and to subsequent NF-κB activation. We speculate that LT may alter host signal transduction to induce the presentation of ligands for ETEC adhesins in such a way that promotes ETEC adherence. Our findings provide insight into previously unexplored functions of LT and their relative importance to ETEC virulence.     

Dysfunctions at human intestinal barrier by water‐borne protozoan parasites: lessons from cultured human fully differentiated colon cancer cell lines

Some water‐borne protozoan parasites induce diseases through their membrane‐associated functional structures and virulence factors that hijack the host cellular molecules and signalling pathways leading to structural and functional lesions in the intestinal barrier. In this Microreview we analyse the insights on the mechanisms of pathogenesis of Entamoeba intestinalis, Giardia and Cryptosporidium observed in the human colon carcinoma fully differentiated colon cancer cell lines, cell subpopulations and clones expressing the structural and functional characteristics of highly specialized fully differentiated epithelial cells lining the intestinal epithelium and mimicking structurally and functionally an intestinal barrier.     

Role of anaerobiosis in virulence of Salmonella typhimuirium

Intestinal pathogens are exposed to various stress conditions during their infectious cycle. Anaerobiosis, one of such hostile condition, is offered by the host within gut and intestinal lumen, where survival, multiplication and entry into intestinal epithelial cells is priority for the invading pathogen. In the present study, a virulent strain of S. typhimurium (1402/84) was grown under anaerobic conditions and its virulence characteristics such as host cell binding, penetration and intracellular survival were compared with aerobic S. typhimurium. Anaerobically grown S. typhimurium showed significantly higher binding to immobilized mice enterocytes and intestinal mucus as compared to bacteria grown aerobically. Anaerobic bacteria also showed an early penetration of mucus and subsequent binding to underlying immobilized enterocytes, in vitro. Anaerobic S. typhimurium exhibited increased intracellular survival within spleen macrophages of mice and caused significantly higher fluid accumulation in ligated rabbit ileal loops as compared to aerobic bacteria. LD₅₀ of anaerobic S. typhimurium was also observed to be 2 fold lower when compared to aerobic bacteria. Cell surface hydrophobicity of anaerobic S. typhimurium was also found to be significantly higher than aerobic bacteria. Thus, it appears that exposure of S. typhimurium to anaerobiosis results in its enhanced virulence, adhesion and penetration of host cells.