A new immunoglobulin-binding protein, EibG, is responsible for the chain-like adhesion phenotype of locus of enterocyte effacement-negative, shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

Infect Immun. 2006 Oct;74(10):5747-55. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00724-06.

Abstract

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are important enteropathogens causing severe diseases such as hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic-uremic syndrome in humans. The majority of STEC strains of serogroups O157, O26, or O111 associated with severe cases of these diseases possess a pathogenicity island termed the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE). LEE, which is responsible for the formation of attaching-and-effacing lesions on intestinal epithelial cells, is important for the full virulence of STEC. Nonetheless, LEE-negative STEC strains have repeatedly been reported to be associated with severe diseases in humans. In this study, we characterized adhesion to cultured epithelial cells of certain LEE-negative STEC isolated from humans with or without bloody diarrhea. Several LEE-negative STEC belonging to serogroup O91 showed an unusual, chain-like adhesion pattern to HEp-2 cells. Using Tn5-based transposon mutagenesis, we identified the gene essential for the chain-like adhesion phenotype of this O91 STEC strain. Sequence analysis of the Tn5-inserted allele identified a novel chromosomal open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polypeptide with a high degree of similarity to the E. coli immunoglobulin-binding (Eib) proteins EibA, -C, -D, -E, and -F. Therefore, the ORF was designated EibG. Laboratory E. coli strain MC4100 transformed with a multicopy plasmid carrying eibG showed chain-like adhesion to HEp-2 cells, and whole-cell lysates of the strain bound to human-derived immunoglobulin G (IgG) Fc and IgA. These results indicate that EibG acts as an IgG Fc- and IgA-binding protein, as well as an adhesin of LEE-negative STEC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adhesins, Escherichia coli / chemistry
  • Adhesins, Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Adhesins, Escherichia coli / metabolism*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacterial Adhesion*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • Diarrhea / immunology
  • Diarrhea / microbiology
  • Enterocytes / microbiology
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / isolation & purification
  • Escherichia coli / pathogenicity*
  • Escherichia coli Infections / immunology
  • Escherichia coli Infections / microbiology
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Lymphokines / genetics
  • Lymphokines / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics
  • Shiga Toxin / biosynthesis*
  • Transformation, Genetic

Substances

  • Adhesins, Escherichia coli
  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • EibG protein, E coli
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • LEE protein, E coli
  • Lymphokines
  • Phosphoproteins
  • immunoglobulin-binding factors
  • Shiga Toxin