Impact of a mutator phenotype on motility and cell adherence in Salmonella Heidelberg

In this study, we investigated adherence and motility of the hypermutator Salmonella enterica Heidelberg B182 bovine strain related to a 12bp deletion in mutS. This mutator phenotype was associated with increased adherence to epithelial cells and with high expression of fimA as shown by real-time RT-PCR. Motility studies showed that fliC were up-regulated in the B182 strain, while fljA and fljB were down-regulated. In order to determine if mutated mutS is implicated in this genes expression, isogenic strains, derived from a WT strain, containing the 12bp deletion in mutS (Δ12bpmutS) or an inactivated mutS (ΔmutS) were generated. Δ12bpmutS and ΔmutS strains showed a spontaneous mutation rate similar to the environmental strain B182, but exhibited lower adherence capacity and fimA expression. In contrast to the fimbriae genes, in Δ12bpmutS, fliC expression was up-regulated, but fljA and fljB expression were decreased, as in the B182 strain. Only fljB expression was increased in ΔmutS mutants. Taken together, our data suggest that mutS alteration does not influence fimbriae expression but can impact flagella genes.     

flaA基因的缺失对绵羊脑炎单核细胞增生李斯特菌的细胞黏附、侵袭能力及生物被膜形成能力影响的研究

为了探究flaA基因对单核细胞增生李斯特菌LM90SB_2黏附和侵袭MBMEC、RAW264.7能力、生物被膜(BF)形成能力的影响,本研究分别进行了flaA基因缺失株LM90SB_2-ΔflaA与野毒株LM90SB2对细胞黏附和侵袭试验,定性定量分析了他们生物被膜形成能力以及小鼠不同脏器中载菌量差异。结果显示:LM90SB_2-ΔflaA对MBMEC的黏附菌数较野毒株LM90SB_2低,且两者差异性显著(P<0.05),两者对MBMEC的侵袭数差异性不显著(P>0.05),而LM90SB_2-ΔflaA对RAW264.7的黏附和侵袭数均显著低于野毒株LM90SB_2(P<0.05);LM90SB_2-ΔflaA与LM90SB_2的BF形成规律基本相同,但缺失株形成的BF总量显著低于野毒株的(P<0.05),且与野毒株相比,缺失株的BF结构中核酸与多糖的分布均松散、稀疏、散点状分布。本研究结果表明,flaA基因对LM90SB_2的细胞黏附和侵袭能力均有影响,在其BF形成过程中发挥着重要的作用。     

大肠杆菌F18菌毛A亚单位基因的多样性分析

根据已经发表的大肠杆菌F18ab菌毛A亚单位(FedA／ab)的基因序列(fedA／ab)设计1对引物，利用PCR技术从本实验室保存的10株大肠杆菌(F107／86、YCED1、YCED2、C、D、E、12F、2134P、8199、8813)中分别扩增到一段序列．并克隆至pGEM-T载体，获得重组质粒TF107A、TYCED1A、TYCED2A、TCA、TDA、TEA、T12FA、T8813A、T8199A、T2134PA。通过序列测定，并与已发表的fedA／ab进行比较、基因树分析，可将这10个菌株分为2个基因群，其中F107／86、YCED1、YCED2、C、D、12F与fedA／ab具有高度同源性，属于fedA／ab．大小为513bp；E、8813、8199、2134P构成另一单独的分支，属于fedA／ac．大小为516bp。     

Porcine intestinal epithelial cell lines as a new in vitro model for studying adherence and pathogenesis of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infections result in large economic losses in the swine industry worldwide. The organism causes diarrhea by adhering to and colonizing enterocytes in the small intestines. While much progress has been made in understanding the pathogenesis of ETEC, no homologous intestinal epithelial cultures suitable for studying porcine ETEC pathogenesis have been described prior to this report. In the current study, we investigated the adherence of various porcine ETEC strains to two porcine (IPEC-1 and IPEC-J2) and one human (INT-407) small intestinal epithelial cell lines. Each cell line was assessed for its ability to support the adherence of E. coli expressing fimbrial adhesins K88ab, K88ac, K88ad, K99, F41, 987P, and F18. Wild-type ETEC expressing K88ab, K88ac, and K88ad efficiently bound to both IPEC-1 and IPEC-J2 cells. An ETEC strain expressing both K99 and F41 bound heavily to both porcine cell lines but an E. coli strain expressing only K99 bound very poorly to these cells. E. coli expressing F18 adhesin strongly bound to IPEC-1 cells but did not adhere to IPEC-J2 cells. The E. coli strains G58-1 and 711 which express no fimbrial adhesins and those that express 987P fimbriae failed to bind to either porcine cell line. Only strains B41 and K12:K99 bound in abundance to INT-407 cells. The binding of porcine ETEC to IPEC-J2, IPEC-1 and INT-407 with varying affinities, together with lack of binding of 987P ETEC and non-fimbriated E. coli strains, suggests strain-specific E. coli binding to these cell lines. These findings suggest the potential usefulness of porcine intestinal cell lines for studying ETEC pathogenesis.     

Both flagella and F4 fimbriae from F4ac+ enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli contribute to attachment to IPEC-J2 cells in vitro

The role of flagella in the pathogenesis of F4ac⁺ Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) mediated neonatal and post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) is not currently understood. We targeted the reference {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"C83902","term_id":"2706834","term_text":"C83902"}}C83902 ETEC strain (O8:H19:F4ac⁺ LT⁺ STa⁺ STb⁺), to construct isogenic mutants in the fliC (encoding the major flagellin protein), motA (encoding the flagella motor), and faeG (encoding the major subunit of F4 fimbriae) genes. Both the ΔfliC and ΔfaeG mutants had a reduced ability to adhere to porcine intestinal epithelial IPEC-J2 cells. F4 fimbriae expression was significantly down-regulated after deleting fliC, which revealed that co-regulation exists between flagella and F4 fimbriae. However, there was no difference in adhesion between the ΔmotA mutant and its parent strain. These data demonstrate that both flagella and F4 fimbriae are required for efficient F4ac⁺ ETEC adhesion in vitro.     

Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) of the Haemophilus parasuis SC096 strain contributes to serum resistance and adherence to and invasion of PK-15 and PUVEC cells

Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) is proposed to be an important virulence determinant of many pathogens. Although two cdt gene cluster loci have been identified in Haemophilus parasuis strain SH0165, the characteristics of CDTs associated with pathogenesis remain unclear. In this study, three CDT-deficient mutants, cdt-1, cdt-2 and the double-knockout cdt-1cdt-2 (Δcdt-1, Δcdt-2 and Δcdt-1Δcdt-2, respectively), were obtained in the H. parasuis serovar 4 clinical strain SC096 using a natural transformation method. Compared to the wild-type SC096 strain, the Δcdt-1, Δcdt-2 and Δcdt-1Δcdt-2 mutants showed subtle growth defects and clearly exhibited an increased sensitivity to the bactericidal action of porcine and rabbit sera. Additionally, these mutants had a significantly reduced ability to adhere to and invade porcine umbilicus vein endothelial cells (PUVEC) and porcine kidney epithelial cells (PK-15). These findings suggest that both CDTs in the H. parasuis SC096 strain are involved in serum resistance and adherence and invasion of host cells.     

Involvement of lipooligosaccharide heptose residues of Haemophilus parasuis SC096 strain in serum resistance,adhesion and invasion

Haemophilus parasuis is the causative agent of Glässer’s disease. To investigate the role of lipooligosaccharide (LOS) in H. parasuis infection, ΔopsX, ΔrfaF and ΔwaaQ mutants defective in expressing opsX, rfaF and waaQ heptosyltransferases were constructed by transformation. Compared to the wild-type SC096 strain, the ΔopsX and ΔrfaF mutants, but not the ΔwaaQ mutant, produced severely truncated LOS. The mutants exhibited various degrees of reduction in resistance to complement-mediated killing in porcine and rabbit sera. In addition, the ΔopsX and ΔrfaF mutant strains showed impaired ability to adhere to and invade porcine kidney epithelial cells (PK-15) and porcine umbilical vein endothelial cells, indicating roles for heptose I and II residues in the interaction with host cells. The ΔwaaQ mutant strain, with no obvious truncation of LOS structure, did not exhibit significant defects in adhesion to and invasion of host cells. This study provides insight into the contribution of the inner core oligosaccharide, especially heptose I and heptose II residues, to the virulence-associated properties of H. parasuis.     

猪TLR5基因表达水平与F18大肠杆菌侵染关系分析

为了探究猪Toll样受体（Toll-like receptor 5,TLR5） 基因表达水平与F18大肠杆菌抗性的关系,试验通过不同血清型产肠毒素大肠杆菌（F18ab和F18ac）侵染猪小肠上皮细胞（IPEC-J2）,同时通过脂多糖（LPS）分别诱导IPEC-J2细胞4和8 h,利用实时荧光定量PCR检测TLR5基因表达水平变化,并利用Western blotting进行蛋白表达分析。结果显示,不同血清型大肠杆菌（F18ab和F18ac）菌体侵染IPEC-J2细胞后,TLR5基因表达水平均极显著上调（P<0.01）;LPS诱导IPEC-J2细胞4和8 h后,TLR5基因表达水平均极显著上调（P<0.01）,且在LPS诱导IPEC-J2细胞8 h后,TLR5基因表达水平明显高于诱导4 h。与对照组相比,细胞中TLR5蛋白的表达水平极显著上调（P<0.01）,与LPS诱导及F18大肠杆菌菌体刺激IPEC-J2细胞后mRNA表达水平结果相一致。本研究在细胞水平上分析了TLR5表达水平和F18大肠杆菌侵染的相关性,进一步证实猪TLR5基因的表达水平在细胞抵抗F18大肠杆菌的侵染过程中发挥了重要的调控作用,为今后关于TLR5基因功能及其在大肠杆菌腹泻遗传育种应用的研究奠定基础。     

Binding of E. coli isolates from pigs with postweaning diarrhea or edema disease to crude intestinal mucin of a weaned pig.

The presence of the fedA (gene coding F18 fimbriae) and genes coding STa and LTI enterotoxins and verotoxin Stx2v was determined in 30 E. coli strains isolated from weaned pigs with postweaning diarrhea (PWD) and edema disease (ED). The fedA gene was detected in 22 strains (73.3%). It was mostly associated with the presence of ST gene determinant (14 from 22 fedA positive strains, 63.6%). Two strains possessed ST/Stx2v or LTI/Stx2v combination of genes for both toxins and two strains were negative for investigated toxin determinants. Among 8 fedA-negative strains, five strains without gene determinants for toxins were detected. All 30 E. coli strains were investigated for their binding to crude intestinal mucin of a weaned pig fixed in wells of microtitre plates. Positive mucin binding was observed in most of strains, however, great differences were shown between individual strains. Nineteen strains were classified as strongly adherent, 10 strains as weakly adherent, and only one nonadherent strain was found. Three E. coli strains, selected among the best mucin binders, bound to mucin in a concentration-dependent manner. A high mucin binding by E. coli strains was observed only after their cultivation on blood agar plates. Their cultivation in LB broth or on McConkey agar plates had negative effect on the mucin binding by these strains. The mucin binding is not restricted by the presence of fedA gene because the strains displaying very good binding are found either among fedA positive (1, 602/2, 4/3, 576/6) or fedA negative (DK 6, DK 8) E. coli strains. E. coli strains with the highest mucin binding ability belong to potential ST producents (strains 1, 602/2, 4/3, 6/2, 602/4) while the strains without genes coding toxin production displayed lower binding to mucin substratum with exception of the strains ZV5 and 13.     

猪m6A甲基化酶WTAP基因与F18大肠杆菌感染的关系

本研究旨在探讨猪m⁶A甲基化酶WTAP表达水平与大肠杆菌（E. coli）感染抗性的关系。选取35日龄苏太断奶仔猪（Sus scrofa）大肠杆菌抗性型和敏感型个体各4头,采集十二指肠和空肠组织,利用RT-qPCR检测WTAP在E. coli抗性型和敏感型个体十二指肠、空肠的表达差异,并分别利用产肠毒素大肠杆菌（F18ab、F18ac）刺激和内毒素（LPS）诱导猪小肠上皮细胞（IPEC-J2）,检测WTAP基因的表达变化。同时构建WTAP基因干扰载体并转染IPEC-J2细胞,通过菌毛定量、菌落计数以及间接免疫荧光试验检测该基因沉默对大肠杆菌黏附能力的影响。结果显示：在十二指肠和空肠组织中,WTAP基因在E. coli抗性型个体中的表达量显著高于敏感型个体（P<0.01）;并且在F18ab和F18ac刺激后表达量显著下降,与LPS诱导6 h后结果相一致（P<0.01）。沉默WTAP基因后,大肠杆菌黏附能力极显著上升（P<0.01）。本研究在细胞和个体水平上验证发现,m⁶A甲基转移酶WTAP的高表达可能有助于仔猪抗大肠杆菌感染,为进一步揭示仔猪抗大肠杆菌感染的RNA甲基化调控机制奠定基础。     

大肠杆菌刺激和LPS诱导条件下猪小肠上皮细胞FUT1和FUT2基因表达变化

本实验运用Real-time PCR方法检测分析α-(1,2)岩藻糖转移酶1(FUT1)和α-(1,2)岩藻糖转移酶2(FUT2)基因在大肠杆菌(E.coli)F18ab、F18ac感染以及内毒素(LPS)诱导小肠上皮细胞(IPEC-J2)前后的mRNA表达差异,在细胞水平上进一步验证FUT1、FUT2基因的功能并探讨其在抗E.coli F18侵染过程中的作用机制。结果表明:FUT1、FUT2基因在E.coli感染和LPS诱导细胞后的mRNA表达水平均极显著升高(P0.01),且FUT2基因的上升趋势要高于FUT1基因。由此推测,FUT1和FUT2基因的表达水平与仔猪抵抗E.coli F18感染的能力密切相关,FUT2基因可能发挥着比FUT1基因更重要的调控作用。     

Enolase在鸭疫里默氏杆菌侵袭鸭脑微血管内皮细胞中的作用

旨在明确鸭疫里默氏杆菌烯醇化酶(Enolase)在其侵袭鸭脑微血管内皮细胞(DBMEC)以及血脑屏障(BBB)中的作用。本研究以鸭疫里默氏杆菌RA-LZ01株为亲本株，利用同源重组和结合转移的方法构建enolase基因缺失株ΔEnolase和回复株cΔEnolase，并测定RA-LZ01、ΔEnolase和cΔEnolase对DBMEC黏附和侵袭能力的差异；用上述菌株感染雏鸭，测定雏鸭血液和脑组织中的载菌量。结果表明，与亲本株RA-LZ01相比，缺失株ΔEnolase对DBMEC的黏附率和入侵率均极显著降低；回复株cΔEnolase恢复了对DBMEC的黏附和入侵能力。感染RA-LZ01、ΔEnolase和cΔEnolase菌株的雏鸭的血液载菌量无显著差异；与感染RA-LZ01和cΔEnolase菌株的雏鸭相比，感染ΔEnolase菌株的雏鸭脑组织中的载菌量极显著降低。以上结果说明，Enolase与鸭疫里默氏杆菌黏附和入侵DBMEC以及入侵雏鸭脑组织显著相关，可能为介导鸭疫里默氏杆菌突破鸭血脑屏障的毒力因子。     

Tackling the issue of environmental survival of live Salmonella Typhimurium vaccines: Deletion of the lon gene

Vaccination is an important measure to control Salmonella contamination in the meat production chain. A previous study showed that both the ΔrfaJ and ΔrfaL strains are suitable markers and allow serological differentiation of infected and vaccinated animals. The aim of this study was to verify whether deletion of the lon gene in a Salmonella Typhimurium ΔrfaJ marker strain resulted in decreased environmental survival. Our results indicate that deletion of the lon gene in the ΔrfaJ strain did not affect invasiveness in IPEC-J2 cells and resulted in an increased susceptibility to UV, disinfectants (such as hydrogen peroxide and tosylchloramide sodium) and citric acid. Immunization of pigs with inactivated ΔrfaJ or ΔlonΔrfaJ vaccines allowed differentiation of infected and vaccinated pigs. Furthermore, deletion of the lon gene did not reduce the protection conferred by live wild type or ΔrfaJ vaccines against subsequent challenge with a virulent Salmonella Typhimurium strain in BALB/c mice. Based on our results in mice, we conclude that deletion of lon in ΔrfaJ contributes to environmental safety of the ΔrfaJ DIVA strain.     

鼠伤寒沙门菌sapC基因缺失株的构建及生物学特性分析

旨在研究鼠伤寒沙门菌ABC转运膜蛋白SapC在沙门菌致病机制中的功能。本研究利用λ-Red重组技术构建了鼠伤寒沙门菌sapC基因缺失突变株SMΔsapC,对其进行生长特性、酸性应激试验、多黏菌素B敏感性试验、生物被膜检测、胞内存活和小鼠体内毒力试验。结果显示,基因缺失株SMΔsapC与亲本菌株和互补菌株相比,其生长速度无明显差异;在酸应激条件下,SMΔsapC存活率显著低于亲本菌株;sapC基因缺失降低了鼠伤寒沙门菌生物被膜的形成能力;同时,SMΔsapC基因缺失株在鼠源巨噬细胞内的增殖能力和小鼠体内的毒力显著低于亲本菌株。研究表明,sapC基因影响鼠伤寒沙门菌的抗酸能力、生物被膜形成能力,从而影响沙门菌在体内外的毒力。本研究为进一步阐释鼠伤寒沙门菌的致病机制奠定了基础。     

Identification of genes responsible for biofilm formation or virulence in Salmonella enterica serovar pullorum

Salmonella living in biofilms are more resistant to chemical and physical stresses. However, information regarding the regulation of genes involved in biofilm formation for Salmonella enterica serovar Pullorum remains limited. In this study, eight mutants with knockout of genes ompR, rpoS, rfaG, rfbH, rhlE, metE, spiA, or steB from the Salmonella enterica serovar Pullorum strain S6702 were constructed. Phenotypic analysis revealed that all mutants were similar to the wild-type strain in growth rate. Only the ompR mutant showed a complete loss of production ofcurli and biofilm formation. The other mutants showed a modified production of curli and cellulose with less effect related to biofilm formation. The results of animal experiments indicated that the deletion of genes ompR, spiA, rfaG, or metE in wild-type strains contributed to attenuation of virulence in 1-day-old chickens. This study may bring new insights into novel vaccines or therapeutic interventions against Salmonella enterica serovar Pullorum infections.     

大肠杆菌F18ac菌毛FedA蛋白的表达与鉴定

根据已经发表的F18ac菌毛A亚单位的基因序列(FedA)设计一对引物,利用PCR技术从重组质粒T 8813A 中扩增到一段序列,并按预定的阅读框插入表达性质粒载体pGEX 6p 1中的谷胱苷肽转移酶(GST)基因的下游,获得重组质粒pPFedA/ac,并转化大肠杆菌BL 21 获得重组菌PPFedA/ac。琼脂糖凝胶电泳、序列测定及分析表明,该序列大小为456 bp,与已发表的FedA/ac结构编码序列完全一致。通过对菌体裂解物的SDS PAGE 分析以及Western blotting 鉴定,证明重组大肠杆菌PP FedA/ac的可以表达融合蛋白形式的FedA/ac (命名为GST FedA/ac),即FedA/ac蛋白(15.317 ku)与谷胱苷肽转移酶(27.335 ku)相连组成分子量为42.652 ku的融合蛋白。利用GST FedA/ac制备的兔抗GST FedA/ac 血清与大肠杆菌F107/86 株( F18ab )、2 134 P 株(F18ac )进行的玻板凝集试验呈现阳性反应,进一步表明了表达的正确性。     

Prevalence of fimbial colonization factors F18ab and F18ac in Escherichia coli isolates from weaned piglets with edema and/or diarrhea in China

F18ab and F18ac are important fimbrial colonization factors of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) and/or enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) in weaned piglets with edema disease and/or diarrhea. To further investigate their prevalence and correlation to pathogenic E. coli, a duplex PCR, using three primers derived from the nucleotide sequence of the F18 major fimbrial subunit gene (fedA), and a direct agglutination test, using a monoclonal antibody specific for the antigenic factor 'a' of F18, were performed. Among 60VTEC, 24VTEC/ETEC and 24 ETEC isolates tested from weaned piglets with edema disease and/or diarrhea in different pig farms in the Jiangsu Province of China, 52 isolates (48.15%) were positive in the direct agglutination test and 63 isolates (58.33%) were positive in the duplex PCR. Among 63 PCR-positive isolates, 53 isolates (49.07%) were F18ab-positive and 10 isolates (9.26%) were F18ac-positive. In addition, the F18ab gene was more frequently detected in VTEC (61.67%) or VTEC/ETEC (62.50%) than in ETEC (4.17% only), while the F18ac gene was more frequently detected in VTEC/ETEC (33.33%) than in ETEC (8.33%) or VTEC (0%). Furthermore, F18ab was more frequently associated with Shiga toxin 2e (Stx2e), whereas F18ac was more frequently associated with enterotoxin ST I. These results suggest that the duplex PCR performed in this experiment is a more reliable method for identification of F18+E. coli, and that F18 is a more important virulence factor of VTEC and VTEC/ETEC.     

产志贺毒素样大肠杆菌F18ab菌毛操纵子基因的体外非诱导系统的表达和鉴定

以产志贺毒素样大肠杆菌（SLTEC）F18ab血清型标准菌株107/86基因组DNA为模板,利用PCR技术成功扩增出编码F18ab完整菌毛操纵子fed基因,克隆入表达载体pBR322,经限制性内切酶酶切分析,DNA琼脂糖电泳鉴定并结合序列测定分析,构建和筛选出含fed完整基因正确插入的pBR322-fed重组质粒,将上述重组质粒转化至不含任何菌毛结构的大肠杆菌SE5000,该表达重组菌能分别与兔抗F18ab亚单位蛋白FedF高免血清、鼠抗F18ab菌毛a单因子单克隆抗体、兔抗F18ab菌毛高免血清和抗F18ab菌毛IgG抗体产生明显的凝集反应。用热抽提法分别抽提和纯化SLTEC F18ab标准株107/86和重组菌SE5000（pBR322-fed）体外表达的F18ab菌毛,纯化菌毛经SDS-PAGE电泳和考马斯亮蓝染色获单一相对分子质量约为15 000蛋白条带。Western-blotting结果表明：兔抗F18ab菌毛高免血清能特异性识别SLTEC F18ab标准株107/86和重组菌SE5000（pBR322-fed）所提纯的单一主要结构蛋白。用重组菌SE5000（pBR322-fed）进行易感仔猪小肠上皮细胞体外黏附试验和黏附抑制试验,结果表明：重组菌SE5000（pBR322-fed）和SLTEC F18ab标准株107/86一样具有较强的黏附易感仔猪小肠上皮细胞的能力,而兔抗F18ab菌毛高免血清能有效地抑制上述重组菌SE5000（pBR322-fed）和SLTEC F18ab标准株107/86对易感仔猪小肠上皮细胞的黏附结合。     

The role of galU and galE of Haemophilus parasuis SC096 in serum resistance and biofilm formation

In our previous study, an ompP2 mutant of a Haemophilus parasuis SC096 strain showed sensitivity to serum bactericidal activity. In this study, we inactivated two gal genes, galU and galE, and these mutants were found to be serum sensitive to porcine sera. Furthermore, the galE mutant exhibited greater sensitivity than the galU mutant in serum sensitivity assays. Biofilm formation ability was also investigated. The galU mutant is unable to form biofilms, while more biofilm mass was produced by the galE mutant compared with SC096. Lack of expression of GalU protein by the galU mutant increased its tendency to autoagglutinate. The results indicated that the galU plays a role in autoagglutination and biofilm formation, while galE may affect the biofilm production indirectly. Both genes are significant for serum resistance in the H. parasuis SC096 strain.