Induction of phagocytic behaviour in human epithelial cells by Escherichia coli cytotoxic necrotizing factor type1 |
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Authors: | Loredana Falzano,Carla Fiorentini,Gianfranco Donelli,Eric Michel,Christine Kocks,Pascale Cossart,Lucien Cabanié ,Eric Oswald,Patrice Boquet |
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Affiliation: | Unitédes Toxines Microbiennes, URA CNRS 557;Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire des Listeria, URA GNRS 1300;Laboratoire de Technologie Cellulaire Institut Pasteur, 28 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.;Department of Ultrastructures, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.;Department of Microbiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-4799, USA. |
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Abstract: | Cytotoxic necrotizing factor type 1 (CNF1) from strains of pathogenic Escherichia coli induces in human epithelial HEp-2 cells, a profound reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton into prominent stress fibres and membrane ruffles. We report here that this process is associated with induction of phagocytic-like activity. CNF1-treated cells acquired the ability to ingest latex beads as well as non-invasive bacteria such as Listeria innocua, which were taken as a model system. Uptake of bacteria was similar to pathogen-induced phagocytosis, since L. innocua transformed with DNA coding for the pore-forming toxin listeriolysln O behaved, with respect to intracellular growth, like the invasive, pathogenic species L. monocytogenes. Our results raise the possibility that, in vivo, pathogenic CNF1 -producing E. coli may invade epithelia by this novel induced phagocytic-like mechanism. |
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