A transgenic model for listeriosis: role of internalin in crossing the intestinal barrier

M Lecuit; S Vandormael-Pournin; J Lefort; M Huerre; P Gounon; C Dupuy; C Babinet; P Cossart

doi:10.1126/science.1059852

A transgenic model for listeriosis: role of internalin in crossing the intestinal barrier

Science. 2001 Jun 1;292(5522):1722-5. doi: 10.1126/science.1059852.

Authors

M Lecuit¹, S Vandormael-Pournin, J Lefort, M Huerre, P Gounon, C Dupuy, C Babinet, P Cossart

Affiliation

¹ Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, Station Centrale de Microscopie Electronique, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris cedex 15, France.

PMID: 11387478
DOI: 10.1126/science.1059852

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is responsible for severe food-borne infections, but the mechanisms by which bacteria cross the intestinal barrier are unknown. Listeria monocytogenes expresses a surface protein, internalin, that interacts with a host receptor, E-cadherin, to promote entry into human epithelial cells. Murine E-cadherin, in contrast to guinea pig E-cadherin, does not interact with internalin, excluding the mouse as a model for addressing internalin function in vivo. In guinea pigs and transgenic mice expressing human E-cadherin, internalin was found to mediate invasion of enterocytes and crossing of the intestinal barrier. These results illustrate how relevant animal models for human infections can be generated.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
Bacterial Translocation
Cadherins / genetics
Cadherins / metabolism*
Carrier Proteins / genetics
Colony Count, Microbial
Disease Models, Animal*
Enterocytes / metabolism
Enterocytes / microbiology*
Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7
Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins
Guinea Pigs
Humans
Intestinal Mucosa / microbiology
Intestinal Mucosa / pathology
Intestine, Small / microbiology
Intestine, Small / pathology
Listeria monocytogenes / growth & development
Listeria monocytogenes / metabolism
Listeria monocytogenes / pathogenicity*
Listeriosis / microbiology*
Listeriosis / pathology
Liver / microbiology
Liver / pathology
Lymph Nodes / microbiology
Lymph Nodes / pathology
Male
Mice
Mice, Transgenic
Neoplasm Proteins*
Nerve Tissue Proteins*
Promoter Regions, Genetic
Spleen / microbiology
Spleen / pathology
Transgenes
Tumor Suppressor Proteins*
Virulence

Substances

Bacterial Proteins
Cadherins
Carrier Proteins
FABP7 protein, human
Fabp5 protein, mouse
Fabp7 protein, mouse
Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7
Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins
Neoplasm Proteins
Nerve Tissue Proteins
Tumor Suppressor Proteins
internalin protein, Bacteria