Interactions of clinical and environmental Aeromonas isolates with Caco-2 and HT29 intestinal epithelial cells

AIM: Evaluation of adherence and invasion of Aeromonas spp. to human colon carcinoma cell lines Caco-2 and HT29 and assessment of cytotoxic activity. METHODS AND RESULTS: A number of 27 strains of Aeromonas caviae and 23 strains of Aeromonas hydrophila was analysed. All strains were capable to adhere to sub-confluent monolayers of Caco-2 and HT29 cell types, presenting aggregative and diffuse adherence patterns cells, respectively. In the cytotoxic assays all strains showed cytopathic and/or cytotoxic activities to Vero cells. The evaluation of the tetrazolium salt (MTT test) reduction capability was carried out in Vero, Caco-2, and HT29 cells. MTT test showed that Vero cell line was the most sensitive cell type. In the invasion test, 13 strains were analysed on Caco-2 and HT29 monolayers. Only two (15%) of the 13 strains, A. hydrophila and A. caviae species, both isolated from vegetables were invasive to Caco-2 cells. No strains were able to invade the HT29 cells. CONCLUSIONS: A. hydrophila and A. caviae isolated from human diarrhoeic faeces, vegetables, and water, were able to adhere to and produce cytotoxic/cytopathic effects in intestinal epithelial cell lines. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The presence of Aeromonas spp. in food and water samples expressing virulence factors suggest that these sources may act as dissemination vehicles of human pathogen with implication in the public health.     

Prevalence of environmental Aeromonas in South East Queensland, Australia: a study of their interactions with human monolayer Caco-2 cells

AIMS: To investigate the prevalence of Aeromonas in a major waterway in South East Queensland, Australia, and their interactions with a gut epithelial model using Caco-2 cells. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 81 Aeromonas isolates, collected from a major waterway in South East Queensland, Australia, were typed using a metabolic fingerprinting method, and tested for their adhesion to HEp-2 and Caco-2 cells and for cytotoxin production on Vero cells and Caco-2 cells. Aeromonas hydrophila had the highest (43%) and Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria had the lowest (25%) prevalence. Four patterns of adhesion were observed on both HEp-2 and Caco-2 cell lines. Representative isolates having different phenopathotypes (nine strains) together with two clinical isolates were tested for their translocation ability and for the presence of virulence genes associated with pathogenic Escherichia coli. The rate and degree of translocation across Caco-2 monolayers varied among strains and was more pronounced with LogA pattern. Translocation was associated with the adherence of strains to Caco-2 cells microvilli, followed by internalization into Caco-2 cells. Two Aer. veronii biovar sobria strains were positive for the presence of heat-labile toxin genes, with one strain also positive for Shiga-like toxin gene. CONCLUSIONS: Pathogenic strains of Aeromonas carrying one or more virulence characteristics are highly prevalent in the waterways studied and are capable of translocating across a human enterocyte cell model. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study indicates that Aeromonas strains carrying one or more virulence properties are prevalent in local waterways and are capable of translocating in a human enterocyte cell culture model. However, their importance in human gastrointestinal disease has yet to be verified under competitive conditions of the gut.     

蒙脱石对细菌黏附Caco-2细胞的影响

采用Caco-2细胞培养模型,观察两歧双歧杆菌、嗜酸乳杆菌、嗜水气单胞菌、副溶血弧菌、大肠杆菌、鼠伤寒沙门菌的黏附率,并在培养液中加入蒙脱石,计算蒙脱石对细菌黏附的阻断率,探讨蒙脱石对上述细菌黏附作用的影响。结果表明:所试菌与Caco-2细胞均有不同程度的黏附作用;蒙脱石对细菌黏附Caco-2细胞均有不同程度的阻断作用,对病原菌黏附Caco-2细胞的阻断作用要明显大于其对益生菌的阻断效果,其中对大肠杆菌、鼠伤寒沙门菌、嗜水气单胞菌、副溶血弧菌黏附的阻断率分别为54.22%、48.41%、60.53%、50.64%,而对两歧双歧杆菌、嗜酸乳杆菌黏附的阻断率分别为25.64%和21.49%。结果提示蒙脱石可有效阻断病原菌黏附,从而防治肠道细菌感染和细菌移位。     

Intracellular vacuolation induced by culture filtrates of Plesiomonas shigelloides isolated from environmental sources

AIMS: Potential virulence factors produced by culture filtrates of Plesiomonas shigelloides isolated from water were investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Culture filtrates of P. shigelloides strains were assayed for cytotoxic activity in CHO (Chinese hamster ovary), Vero (African green monkey kidney), HeLa (human cervix), HT29 (human epithelial intestinal) and SK6 (swine epithelial kidney) cells. Microscopic analyses revealed intensive cytoplasmic vacuolation including cell rounding and swelling, with gradual destruction of the monolayer in filtrate-treated cells. Neutral red assays showed that CHO, HeLa and Vero cells were the most sensitive to the vacuolating activity, which was evident within 30 min of culture filtrate exposure. This activity was inactived by heating at 56 degrees C for 15 min and partially neutralized by antiserum to the cytotoxin of Aeromonas hydrophila. All P. shigelloides strains had a cell-associated haemolysin in the agar plate assay. Three isolates were found to produce a cell-free haemolytic activity at 37 degrees C. In the suckling mouse test, two P. shigelloides culture supernatants were positive for enterotoxic activity. CONCLUSIONS: P. shigelloides culture filtrates isolated from aquatic environment cause intracellular vacuolation on mammalian cells, and produce haemolytic and enterotoxic activities. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This work revealed the presence of putative virulence factors that could be associated with human infections involving Plesiomonas strains.     

Dome formation in the human colon carcinoma cell line Caco-2 in culture. Influence of ouabain and permeable supports

We studied formation of domes in cell monolayers of the human colon carcinoma cell line Caco-2 which has been shown to exhibit signs of enterocytic differentiation and transport properties. After a 24 hr incubation with 4 X 10(-8) M ouabain, the number of domes seen on Caco-2 cell monolayers grown on plastic dishes was not significantly altered. After a 90 min preincubation with ouabain, 86rubidium uptake by Caco-2 cells was inhibited by ouabain, indicating that the cells have an ouabain-sensitive Na+, K+-ATPase, while dome formation was unaffected by ouabain. Domes were observed in Caco-2 cell monolayers grown on Nuclepore filters when the pore size was 0.015 micron but not when it was 0.030 micron. Our results suggest that dome formation in the Caco-2 cell line could be independent of Na+, K+-ATPase activity and might be due to accumulation of molecules having an effective hydrodynamic radius comprised between 0.015 and 0.030 micron.     

Virulent strains of Salmonella enteritidis disrupt the epithelial barrier of Caco-2 and HEp-2 cells

To confirm the existence in nature of Salmonella enteritidis strains of different degrees of virulence and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the effects of such strains on the epithelial barrier function, the consequences of infection of Caco-2 cells and HEp-2 cells with 15 S. enteritidis strains in a chicken infection model were examined. The more virulent strains of S. enteritidis, which are biofilm producers in adherence test medium, were able to disrupt HEp-2 and Caco-2 monolayers, as shown by transmonolayer electrical resistance and lactate dehydrogenase activity. In contrast, the low-virulence strains of S. enteritidis, which do not produce biofilms in adherence test medium, had no effect on the same cells. An avirulent rough mutant of Salmonella minnesota exhibited a pattern of behaviour similar to that of the low virulence strains of S. enteritidis, whilst a clinical Salmonella typhi strain caused rapid injury to the monolayers. The effect of supernatants of Salmonella cultures in adherence test medium on the integrity of Caco-2 cell monolayers indicated that the high-virulence S. enteritidis strains, but not the low-virulence strains, release a soluble factor when incubated under optimum biofilm-forming conditions, which enables the disruption of the integrity of Caco-2 monolayers.     

New Model for Studying the Migration of Immune Cells into Intestinal Epithelial Cell Monolayers

A novel cell culture system was constructed to analyze the direct interaction between intestinal epithelial cells and immune cells. Human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells were monolayer-cultured on the under side of a permeable membrane (12 μm pore size) in a Millicell insert. Integrated monolayers of Caco-2 cells had formed after 12 days of culture. Human monocyte/macrophage-like THP-1 cells were then added to the upper chamber of the insert, and their migration into the Caco-2 cell monolayers was observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy, after staining the cells with specific antibodies. When MCP-1, a β-chemokine, was added to the apical side of the monolayer, a greater number of THP-1 cells migrated into the Caco-2 cell monolayers. This cell culture system will be useful for studying the behavior of macrophages in the intestinal epithelial cell monolayers at the initial stage of an intestinal immune reaction.     

Enumeration and characterization of Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas caviae isolated from grocery store produce

Starch-ampicillin agar was used to quantitatively isolate Aeromonas sp. from retail grocery store produce. All produce sampled, including parsley, spinach, celery, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, and lettuce, contained Aeromonas sp. In most instances, the count of Aeromonas sp. increased 10- to 1,000-fold during 2 weeks of storage at 5 degrees C. Eleven (92%) of 12 kinds of produce yielded cytotoxic Aeromonas sp. Identification as Aeromonas hydrophila was the strongest indicator of cytotoxicity, and all 29 (100%) A. hydrophila isolates and 1 (6%) of 16 A. caviae isolates were cytotoxic. Twenty-seven (90%) of 30 cytotoxic Aeromonas sp. strains produced hemolysins. Strong correlations were also noted between ability to produce cytotoxin and positive Voges-Proskauer, lysine decarboxylase, and sorbitol fermentation reactions. It appears that grocery store produce is a potentially significant source of cytotoxic Aeromonas sp. and should be considered in the epidemiology of A. hydrophila gastroenteritis.     

Enumeration and characterization of Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas caviae isolated from grocery store produce.

Starch-ampicillin agar was used to quantitatively isolate Aeromonas sp. from retail grocery store produce. All produce sampled, including parsley, spinach, celery, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, and lettuce, contained Aeromonas sp. In most instances, the count of Aeromonas sp. increased 10- to 1,000-fold during 2 weeks of storage at 5 degrees C. Eleven (92%) of 12 kinds of produce yielded cytotoxic Aeromonas sp. Identification as Aeromonas hydrophila was the strongest indicator of cytotoxicity, and all 29 (100%) A. hydrophila isolates and 1 (6%) of 16 A. caviae isolates were cytotoxic. Twenty-seven (90%) of 30 cytotoxic Aeromonas sp. strains produced hemolysins. Strong correlations were also noted between ability to produce cytotoxin and positive Voges-Proskauer, lysine decarboxylase, and sorbitol fermentation reactions. It appears that grocery store produce is a potentially significant source of cytotoxic Aeromonas sp. and should be considered in the epidemiology of A. hydrophila gastroenteritis.     

Identification of a new hemolysin from diarrheal isolate SSU of Aeromonas hydrophila

A clinical strain SSU of Aeromonas hydrophila produces a potent cytotoxic enterotoxin (Act) with cytotoxic, enterotoxic, and hemolytic activities. A new gene, which encoded a hemolysin of 439-amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 49 kDa, was identified. This hemolysin (HlyA) was detected based on the observation that the act gene minus mutant of A. hydrophila SSU still had residual hemolytic activity. The new hemolysin gene (hlyA) was cloned, sequenced, and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The hlyA gene exhibited 96% identity with its homolog found in a recently annotated genome sequence of an environmental isolate, namely the type strain ATCC 7966 of A. hydrophila subspecies hydrophila. The hlyA gene did not exhibit any homology with other known hemolysins and aerolysin genes detected in Aeromonas isolates. However, this hemolysin exhibited significant homology with hemolysin of Vibrio vulnificus as well as with the cystathionine beta synthase domain protein of Shewanella oneidensis. The HlyA protein was activated only after treatment with trypsin and the resulting hemolytic activity was not neutralizable with antibodies to Act. The presence of the hlyA gene in clinical and water Aeromonas isolates was investigated and DNA fingerprint analysis was performed to demonstrate its possible role in Aeromonas virulence.     

Immunochemical analysis and possible biological role of an Aeromonas hydrophila surface array protein in septicaemia.

The biochemical, immunological, and biological properties of an S layer purified from an Aeromonas hydrophila strain (AH-342) involved in a case of bacteraemia were investigated. The S layer selectively removed from the cell surface was composed of a single acidic (pI 4.56) protein subunit (surface array protein, SAP) with a molecular mass of approximately 52 kDa. Amino acid analysis of this 52 kDa protein indicated a molecule composed of 498 amino acids with 46% hydrophobic residues. No cysteine residues were detected. The first 35 residues of the N-terminus were sequenced by Edman degradation; only 4-24% homology was noted between this sequence and those previously published for SAPs of Aeromonas salmonicida (A450) and a strain of A. hydrophila (TF7) originally isolated from a moribund fish. Polyclonal antibodies raised against AH-342 SAP were genospecific, reacting only against S layers produced by A. hydrophila strains and not those from Aeromonas veronii. Acute serum from the bacteraemic patient from whom AH-342 was isolated reacted strongly with the SAP of AH-342 in immunoblot studies. Purified SAP, when intraperitoneally co-inoculated with SAP- strains of A. hydrophila into Swiss-Webster mice, could reduce the 50% lethal dose by approximately 30-70 fold. The results suggest that the SAP of A. hydrophila strains may play an important role in systemic dissemination after invasion through the gastrointestinal mucosa.     

Behavior of an Aeromonas hydrophila aroA live vaccine in water microcosms

Genetically modified auxotrophic mutants of different fish pathogens have been used as live vaccines in laboratory experiments, but the behavior of the strains after release into aquatic ecosystems has not been characterized. We previously constructed and characterized an aroA mutant of Aeromonas hydrophila and studied the protection afforded by this mutant as a live vaccine in rainbow trout. In this work, we describe the survival of this strain in aquatic microcosms prepared from fish water tanks. The aroA mutant disappeared rapidly in nonfiltered, nonautoclaved fish tank water, declining below detection levels after 15 days, suggesting an inhibitory effect of the autochthonous microflora of the water. When the aroA strain was used to inoculate sterilized water, its culturability was lower than that of wild-type strain A. hydrophila AG2; after long periods of incubation, aroA cells were able to enter a viable but nonculturable state. Entry into this nonculturable state was accompanied by changes in the cell morphology from rods to spheres, but the cells appeared to remain potentially viable, as assessed by the preservation of cell membrane integrity. Supplementation of the culture medium with sodium pyruvate favored the culturability and resuscitation of the two A. hydrophila strains at low temperatures (6 and 16 degrees C). These results contribute to a better understanding of the behavior of the aroA strain in natural environments and suggest that the inactivation of the aroA gene may be beneficial for the safety of this live vaccine for aquacultures.     

Survival ability of cytotoxic strains of motile Aeromonas spp. in different types of water

The ability of motile Aeromonas spp. to survive in drinking water (mineral and tap water) and in sea water was experimentally tested. Clinically isolated cytotoxic strains of A. hydrophila, A. caviae and A. sobria were selected for this study. After contamination of water samples, the survival of Aeromonas strains was studied for at least three months using viable counts. The results obtained show that the survival of the Aeromonas spp. varies considerably depending on species and water type. For all three species, the survival time was longest in mineral water, where viable bacteria of each strain were still detected after 100 d. Moreover, A hydrophila and A. caviae also re-grew on the first day. In tap water all strains showed marked survival, although to a lesser extent than in mineral water. Aeromonas cells showed a rapid decline in sea water (90% reduction in viable cells after about two d) and thus seem to be more sensitive to saline/marine stress than chlorination.     

ILK mediates the effects of strain on intestinal epithelial wound closure

The intestinal epithelium is subjected to repetitive deformation during normal gut function by peristalsis and villous motility. Such repetitive strain promotes intestinal epithelial migration across fibronectin in vitro, but signaling mediators for this are poorly understood. We hypothesized that integrin-linked kinase (ILK) mediates strain-stimulated migration in intestinal epithelial cells cultured on fibronectin. ILK kinase activity increased rapidly 5 min after strain induction in both Caco-2 and intestinal epithelial cell-6 (IEC-6) cells. Wound closure in response to strain was reduced in ILK small interfering RNA (siRNA)-transfected Caco-2 cell monolayers when compared with control siRNA-transfected Caco-2 cells. Pharmacological blockade of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) or Src or reducing Src by siRNA prevented strain activation of ILK. ILK coimmunoprecipitated with focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and this association was decreased by mutation of FAK Tyr925 but not FAK Tyr397. Strain induction of FAK Tyr925 phosphorylation but not FAK Tyr397 or FAK Tyr576 phosphorylation was blocked in ILK siRNA-transfected cells. ILK-Src association was stimulated by strain and was blocked by the Src inhibitor PP2. Finally, ILK reduction by siRNA inhibited strain-induced phosphorylation of myosin light chain and Akt. These results suggest a strain-dependent signaling pathway in which ILK association with FAK and Src mediates the subsequent downstream strain-induced motogenic response and suggest that ILK induction by repetitive deformation may contribute to recovery from mucosal injury and restoration of the mucosal barrier in patients with prolonged ileus. ILK may therefore be an important target for intervention to maintain the mucosa in such patients.     

Distribution and characterization of hemolytic, and enteropathogenic motile Aeromonas in aquatic environment

A year-long survey on the distribution of motile Aeromonas species in the surface waters of riverine and marine environments was conducted. The filtered membranes were directly placed onto the modified Pril-xylose-ampicillin agar for the enumeration of Aeromonas species. High counts of motile aromonads were found in riverine stations and this bacterial population was also observed in significant quantities in polluted marine samples. In the identification of 2,444 isolates, three species of motile Aeromonas were observed. A. caviae (43%) was prevalent followed by A. sobria (35%) and A. hydrophila (20%). A. hydrophila was high in clean riverine samples, A. sobria was predominantly isolated from a stagnant water sampling area, and A. caviae was distributed more in marine samples. Statistical analyses suggested that the densities of Aeromonas were related to the cumulative effect of various physicochemical parameters rather than to a single factor. Among the species of Aeromonas, A. hydrophila, and A. sobria were highly hemolytic whereas only 11% of A. caviae were observed to lyse sheep erythrocytes. Suckling-mouse assay was performed to elucidate the enterotoxicity of motile aeromonads and 21% of the tested strains (one A. caviae strain) were found to produce enterotoxin.     

Pathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila serogroup O:14 and O:81 strains with an S layer

Five autoagglutinating Aeromonas hydrophila isolates recovered from eels and humans were assigned to serogroups O:14 and O:81 of the Sakazaki and Shimada (National Institutes of Health) scheme. They had the following properties in common: positive precipitation after boiling, moderate surface hydrophobicity (salt-aggregation-test value around 1.2), pathogenicity for fish and mice (50% lethal dose, 10(4.61) to 10(7.11)), lipopolysaccharides that contained O-polysaccharide chains of homogeneous chain length, and an external S layer peripheral to the cell wall observed by electron microscopy. A strong cross-reactivity was detected by immunoblotting between the homogeneous O-polysaccharide fraction of O:14 and O:81 strains but not between them and the lipopolysaccharide of A. hydrophila TF7 (O:11 reference strain). Outer membrane fractions of these strains contained a predominant 53- to 54-kDa protein which was glycine extractable under low-pH (pH 2.8) conditions and was identified as the surface array protein. The S-layer proteins of the O:14 and O:81 A. hydrophila strains seemed to be primarily different from those previously purified from strains A. hydrophila TF7 and Aeromonas salmonicida A450 on the basis of colony hybridizations with both the structural genes vapA and ahsA. This is the first report of the presence of an S layer in mesophilic Aeromonas strains not belonging to serogroup O:11.     

The MgtE Mg2+ transport protein is involved in Aeromonas hydrophila adherence

Aeromonas hydrophila AH-3 strains carrying mutations in mgtE, which encodes a Mg2+ and Co2+ transport system, showed a 50% reduction of in vitro adherence to HEp-2 cells, a reduction in swarming in semisolid swarming agar, and decrease in biofilm formation of over 60% in comparison to the wild-type strain. The cloned A. hydrophila mgtE expressed from a plasmid complements a Salmonella typhimurium strain deleted for all Mg2+ transporters both phenotypically and by measurement of 57Co2+ uptake. Likewise, plasmid-borne mgtE was able to complement the changes observed in A. hydrophila mgtE mutants. We suggest that MgtE and thus Mg2+ and possibly Co2+ have a role in A. hydrophila related to their swarming ability and related consequences such as adherence and biofilm formation.     

Inactivation of Aeromonas hydrophila by Fe(II)-related-radical generation in oxidizing groundwaters.

The survival of Aeromonas hydrophila AWWX1 in filter-sterilized phreatic groundwaters was studied by using viable counts. Aeromonas counts rapidly decreased 2 to 3 log units in oxidizing raw groundwaters from Snellegem and Beernem, Belgium (Snellegem-raw and Beernem-raw, respectively), containing high concentrations of Fe2+ (460 to 1,070 microM). The rapid decline in viable counts of Aeromonas cells in the oxidizing raw groundwater of Snellegem was prevented by the addition of an Fe2+ chelator (2,2'-dipyridyl) or compounds (i.e., ascorbic acid and catalase) that act on toxic oxygen species. The results suggest that free radicals, generated spontaneously in oxidizing Fe2+-containing groundwaters, caused the inactivation of A. hydrophila AWWX1. Evidence that free radicals are generated under the given conditions was provided by the observation that propylphosphonic acid, a compound which is very susceptible to radicals, was degraded upon addition to these waters. A. hydrophila PWBS, Pseudomonas fluorescens P17, Spirillum strain NOX, and heterotrophs showed decreases in culturability in filter-sterilized Snellegem-raw water similar to that shown by A. hydrophila AWWX1. These findings indicate that free radicals generated in Fe2+-containing groundwaters upon aeration are capable of inactivating various bacterial species.     

Production of exotoxins by Aeromonas spp. at 5 degrees C

The ability of 60 strains of Aeromonas to produce enterotoxin and haemolysin after cultivation at 5 degrees C for 7-10 d was investigated. The strains were isolated from lamb meat, offal, carcasses and faeces, and had previously been tested for their ability to produce these exotoxins at 37 degrees C. The results showed that some strains of Aeromonas hydrophila and A. sobria were capable of producing enterotoxin and haemolysin at 5 degrees C, but none of the A. caviae strains tested produced these two factors. Of the 30 A. hydrophila strains investigated 25 and 27 were enterotoxigenic and haemolytic respectively. Likewise, of the 24 A. sobria strains investigated 16 and 18 were enterotoxigenic and haemolytic respectively. The results indicate that certain strains of Aeromonas species, in particular A. hydrophila and A. sobria, are of potential public health significance in meats stored at refrigeration temperature.     

A novel electrochemically active and Fe(III)-reducing bacterium phylogenetically related to Aeromonas hydrophila,isolated from a microbial fuel cell

A facultative anaerobic bacterium was isolated from a mediator-less microbial fuel cell fed with artificial wastewater containing acetate and designated as PA3. The isolate was identified as a strain of Aeromonas hydrophila based on its biochemical, physiological and morphological characteristics as well as 16S rDNA sequence analysis and DNA-DNA hybridization. PA3 used glucose, glycerol, pyruvate and hydrogen to reduce Fe(III), nitrate and sulfate. Cyclic voltammetry showed that PA3 was electrochemically active and was the culture collection strain A. hydrophila KCTC 2358. Electricity was generated from a fuel cell-type reactor, the anode compartment of which was inoculated with cell suspensions of the isolate or A. hydrophila KCTC 2358. The electrochemical activities are novel characteristics of A. hydrophila.